This post contains 6 glittery terms: damn, fuck, fkn, hell, motherfucker, shit.
Art for Art’s Sake – #AtoZChallenge
What IS Art for Art’s Sake?
the [philosophy that the] intrinsic value of art, and the only “true” art, is divorced from any didactic [instructional], moral or utilitarian function ~ Wikipedia
But writers almost always write with a purpose, or an eye toward functionality. This is at least true of the writers I cross on various social media platforms. They want recognition and perhaps even financial recompense for their work.
A writer who aims to publish – whether via tradition or independent means – seeks more than merely Art for Art’s Sake. Their work does, indeed, serve some greater function than merely the creation thereof.
That’s why writers need hobbies.
All artists must have an outlet, existing outside their normal course of activity, for their creativity to run amok.
Something to which they can risk a less-than-perfect outcome.
Something at which they can fail, with zero risk of recrimination.
Something that is purely sloppy and fun.
Find a hobby outside your passion.
I have written before of the difference between a passion and a hobby.
Creatives who care about the final product are passionate about their work, and go to great lengths to ensure their creation reflects the best of their creative abilities.
This is absolutely NOT the same thing as Art for Art’s Sake.
I [state your name] hereby declare that I am a Creative Rebel, also known as a Creative Badass…
My creative ambition, however it chooses to express itself, is my birthright. It is central to who I am. ~
There is no question as to whether a creative must create.
Obviously, artists are led to MAKE.
With regard to the magic of MAKING, there are two options:
1. Create outside your chosen field.
Holly Hobbie – musician
I do not enjoy drawing, I suck at dancing, and I can’t read music to save my damn life. This might discourage me from finding a creative outlet beyond writing, at which I seriously excel. And yes, I did just toot my own horn.
However, I am lucky enough to have found a fun hobby that not only am I horrible at, I am also not very interested in following up on: Scrapbooking. Engaging in this activity has allowed me to find my inner artist, though, because the very fact that the final product doesn’t concern me, frees me to do wild and crazy things with color and pattern. To get stupid. To {dare I say it?} seriously fuck up.
Ironically, the act of engaging in an art form I’m bad at has helped me become a better artist, both outside my chosen field, and within it.
The freedom from my self-assigned constraints has allowed me to grow as an artist – specifically, as a writer.
2. Create within your chosen field.
Holly Hobbie – writer
I am a writer.
I love writing, but I do so with a very heavy hand. I care about the final product too much to take risks. But it is dangerous for a writer – or any artist – to paint oneself into a corner. So I write small ditties outside my main project {my current work-in-progress, THE GREENE}, and indeed, even outside my own genre.
I write blog posts.
These non-fiction vignettes are about as far from fiction / fantasy / sci-fi as one can get. I am free to rant, relate pieces of my history, bare my soul, educate, question… I can write anything I please, and moreover, receive feedback on my idle thoughts.
If you are a writer, I highly recommend blogging. See where your words can take you when you aren’t dedicating them only to one corner of your chosen field. You don’t have to be like me and drop F-bombs and glitter in your wake.
I write in a journal.
Not daily, not always in the morning, and not always free of prompts. I’m not good at schedules and I’m not keen on what I perceive is “wasting” words. But still, I feel the pull, and I have read over and over again that journaling is important, so I go back to it from time to time. I keep my thoughts in a simple composition book – which I then take to scrapbooking sessions and decorate.
Because that’s fun, too. And completely fkn pointless.
Which, of course, is the point.
I write notes and character studies and world-building exercises.
This is closer to home and might be considered an activity that doesn’t fall within the realm of Art for Art’s Sake, since it does, indeed, serve a specific purpose.
However, the purpose is merely a byproduct of my actual intent, which is to explore my created world without constraints. These silly jots and bullet points are not meant for readers’ eyes. They are doodles and squiggles and will never see the light of day. I create them merely for the sake of creating them.
Don’t think outside the box. That’s too easy. You need limits to chafe against; limits trigger and release creativity. So climb inside the box – and find ways to kick the edges way the hell out. ~
Justine Musk writes about being a creative badass, which to my mind, encompasses the very essence of making Art for Art’s Sake.
Give it some thought.
And then go make some good shit.
In the words of author …
~ Chuck Wendig of the blog TerribleMinds.com
Visit to see who I’m making time for this month.
Or stop by my post The Great and Powerful AtoZ Challenge Theme Reveal to see a list of all my AtoZ entries for 2014.
