great writers
"a lot of great writers were mildly depressed, suffering from the misfortune of seeing reality too clearly"
Whatever people may think of what I write in my LJ, I do not consider myself depressed, not even mildly depressed, not right now anyway. I think my job causes me more stress than anything else in the universe, followed next by the intertwined responsibilities of house, pets, and T. There were times over the past two pandemic years when my job upset me a lot. And working from home with T doing the same, day after day after day ... that's constantly draining my energy levels.
Instead I consider "seeing reality too clearly" as a hobby or even as a spiritual goal. Studying history and applying it to current events gives me a lot of perspective. As fucked up as things are right now, it's not like humanity has ever lived in a Garden of Eden, we've always sucked. That I aspire to more for our species doesn't cause me much personal stress.
So, perhaps I wouldn't be a "great writer" LOL. We'll see after I retire what comes of my writing, my music, and my volunteer work.
Recently I was reading a passage in my current book -- which I won't name unless I decide to recommend it -- and I was struck by how beautifully horrible the passage was -- and I thought maybe I could never write such a scene because I've personally never been in such a horrible situation. But then I remembered some of the scenes I have written for my characters over the years, and I thought to myself, "Well, if I roleplay my characters dutifully enough, I could write a beautifully horrible passage like this also."
I think being a great writer doesn't depend on experiencing depression, it depends on not being afraid of re-experiencing depression. You have to be willing to go there, to walk up to the face of the void, to touch it, to jump into it. To feel it. To sit with it. And then to write about it. Knowing there are other emotional states that exist, but willing to forget there was ever a way out.
20 years ago, I was afraid of re-experiencing horror. I was afraid of sharing it with others, afraid of what that might to do myself and to them.
It's not that I'm mildly depressed, it's that I'm less afraid of my own emotions than I used to be. I think that's the key.
But I still may never become a great writer LOL. I might not be willing to do the marketing ;-)
Whatever people may think of what I write in my LJ, I do not consider myself depressed, not even mildly depressed, not right now anyway. I think my job causes me more stress than anything else in the universe, followed next by the intertwined responsibilities of house, pets, and T. There were times over the past two pandemic years when my job upset me a lot. And working from home with T doing the same, day after day after day ... that's constantly draining my energy levels.
Instead I consider "seeing reality too clearly" as a hobby or even as a spiritual goal. Studying history and applying it to current events gives me a lot of perspective. As fucked up as things are right now, it's not like humanity has ever lived in a Garden of Eden, we've always sucked. That I aspire to more for our species doesn't cause me much personal stress.
So, perhaps I wouldn't be a "great writer" LOL. We'll see after I retire what comes of my writing, my music, and my volunteer work.
Recently I was reading a passage in my current book -- which I won't name unless I decide to recommend it -- and I was struck by how beautifully horrible the passage was -- and I thought maybe I could never write such a scene because I've personally never been in such a horrible situation. But then I remembered some of the scenes I have written for my characters over the years, and I thought to myself, "Well, if I roleplay my characters dutifully enough, I could write a beautifully horrible passage like this also."
I think being a great writer doesn't depend on experiencing depression, it depends on not being afraid of re-experiencing depression. You have to be willing to go there, to walk up to the face of the void, to touch it, to jump into it. To feel it. To sit with it. And then to write about it. Knowing there are other emotional states that exist, but willing to forget there was ever a way out.
20 years ago, I was afraid of re-experiencing horror. I was afraid of sharing it with others, afraid of what that might to do myself and to them.
It's not that I'm mildly depressed, it's that I'm less afraid of my own emotions than I used to be. I think that's the key.
But I still may never become a great writer LOL. I might not be willing to do the marketing ;-)