Inspiration can come from anything.
One thing I learned when I started writing was that I needed things to write about. It sounds like a joke, but it's true. When you begin down the path of this spiraling circle to hell hobby, you quickly realize that you can hit corners during the process of writing where you think, "Wait... how does this actually work?" That can be about something as simple as a doorknob to as complex as the intricacies of first world politics.
But I digress. This is probably common sense.
Yes, you have to know about things. Research, when writing nearly anything, is very very necessary. Just recently I had to do a quick look at what math is taught in 8th grade for my current manuscript (you expect me to remember?!), and for months now I've been reading a lot of philosophy, history, and ancient myth for my next project. Research encompasses all of that.
But research is about learning the nuances of base ideas and how to deconstruct them. Let's say you want to write a war novel. Think -- well, how did World War I start? Research it, take it apart, learn why all of its base elements came to be, and use your creative brain to piece it all back together. That enriches your writing, and lends it credibility.
However, I don't intend to expand upon that exact idea right now, because it's but one part of a greater whole. What I'm here to talk about today is what I call, The Duty of the Artist.
Let's say you watch a movie. That movie, in your opinion, ends up being pretty bad.
Why?
Well, you may think, I don't like the protagonist.
Why?
They did morally reprehensible things, you think. I don't think that makes for a very relatable character.
Nice! You've discovered that you value relatable protagonists.
The Duty of the Artist, fundamentally, constantly goes back to asking "why." It's an employment of critical thinking when engaging with a creative work. There's no objective good or bad, but certain elements of something will appeal to you, and likewise, other things will not. When you ask yourself why, you can start to construct things with greater depth.
Here's an example:
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I don't like Brandon Sanderson's fantasy novels. I, however, do like Tolkien's.
Why?
Hmm... Sanderson's novels have long-winded explanations of their magic systems, and then expect me to remember the rules of such as I was reading. I didn't like that.
Why?
Well... I suppose it makes the world a bit mechanical, doesn't it? Isn't is supposed to be fantasy?
Very good. Well, why do you like Tolkien more?
I would say... because his magic is woven into the world naturally. There are no named spells, and we don't know how it works... it just 'is.' That appeals to me more.
Why?
At this point, you may discover that you value escapism more than realism.* You can now factor this idea into your own work by writing a story that presents more escapist ideas rather than systems of logic that would keep it grounded.
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Just a quick disclaimer: This is not my opinion, as I love both Sanderson and Tolkien's work -- but it is a clear employment of "The Duty of the Artist" -- someone is taking a critical look at what they've consumed, why it does or doesn't appeal to them, and what that means for creating their own media.
It's my personal belief that no one has the right to tell you not to enjoy a piece of media, and you don't have to explain what it is about it that appeals to you. Secondly, if you are in it just to be entertained, then you have every right to skip things you dislike and only go for what you think is worth your time. However, if you create (or intend to create) art and other media yourself, the things you enjoy (and don't enjoy) will have an affect on what you make whether you like it or not.
Which leads me to my main point: Consume other kinds of art!
If you're a painter, don't just look at paintings. If you're a writer, don't just read books. If you're a musician, don't just listen to music. Do it all. It's your duty, as an artist, to make the best work you can make. Staying boxed up in one medium will only do you a disservice, because ideas are stitched into the very fabric of our reality -- and that means they're hiding everywhere.
The bank across the street has columns of a certain shape. Why? Egyptian Revivalism. Maybe the idea of an architect taking inspiration from the buildings of a civilization thousands of years before they were even born can set the groundwork for your next book? Maybe the way Hirohiko Araki draws his characters in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure inspires the look of your next painting, or even the sound of your next song. Maybe you like the punk-rock droll of Curt Kobain's voice, the hilarious hi-jinks of Fred and George Weasley, and the strange surrealism of the 1931 painting, The Persistence of Memory. From those things, you put together Kurby and Toby, a pair of jokester brothers that distort time itself with their garage-rocker music. How would you have had that idea without listening to Nirvana, reading Harry Potter, or admiring the works of Salvador Dali?
But more so than it's your duty as an artist to make the best work you can make, it's the Duty of the Artist to entertain yourself. Life isn't all hard work. Sometimes you find that one piece of art that really speaks to you. I'm a writer of novels and prose fiction, but my favorite work of art is a Japanese manga. You may love books, but the piece of art that really speaks to you could be a piece of classical music. You may love video games, but the piece of art that really speaks to you could be a stage performance.
And if you hadn't given it a shot, you'd have never known you'd like it.
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Thanks for reading!!!
