• About Megan Cashman
  • Author Interview Guidelines
  • The Dark Proposal
  • Video Services for Authors

Megan Cashman

~ Author

Megan Cashman

Tag Archives: art

The Fine Arts Need to be More Mainstream

11 Saturday May 2013

Posted by Megan in Miscellaneous

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

art, artistic, artistry, artists, paintings, poems, poetry, poets, spirituality, what is art

Fiction is my main form of writing. I like to create characters, their conflict and the kind of world they’re living in. I like to explore issues or make a statements.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Image via Wikimedia Commons

But sometimes I like to get personal, I write poetry. Even though I haven’t done it in a while and I don’t have a strong drive to write poems, I do like to be alone and process my thoughts and emotions that way. I haven’t had any of my poems published and I don’t have any goal to do so. Maybe someday I will, but right now I don’t have the interest.

Occasionally, I read my poems at open-mike sessions. Its fun and there something of a release to expose your thoughts and feelings to a group of people who appreciate poetry. I have to admit, I like the idea of being on stage like that – and that is probably the only time I don’t mind being the center of attention.

Maybe now since I’m living in Brooklyn and there’s more opportunities to meet other writers and poets, I’ll get back into poetry – and maybe do an open-mike again. That would be cool.

One thing I would like to attempt someday, further down the road, is to write a story epic-poem style – like Homer and Dante. It would be a huge challenge, and I won’t do it for years. I can’t say I’ll ever publish it, but I do know if its poorly done I will not release it to the world.

Another reason why I’m bringing that up is that I’d like to see poems in general make a comeback. I know poetry isn’t as mainstream as it once was centuries ago. It seems like poetry is for the unconventional artsy types and the literary elitists. It’s like poets are a rare breed, with so few taking it seriously anymore. The only poet I can think of who gets any respect in the U.S. today is Maya Angelou.

That’s all? Aren’t there many poets out there releasing collections? Why doesn’t anyone appreciate poetry anymore? Way back in the day – I’m talking a few centuries ago – a cultured person could recite numerous poems from heart. Why aren’t we doing that anymore? Why doesn’t society take the arts as seriously as it once did? It’s like the fine arts are seen as boring, dull and hard to understand. It’s too Old School, it’s something snobs like, it’s so old fashioned.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Why so? Poetry is beautiful, when done correctly (I’m sorry, but the singer Jewel’s book of poems did not contain lovely poetry). So is ballet, opera, paintings that actually have meaning and detail, and not the modern stuff that are just designs. Remember that woman who dyed a small island’s beach pink? And then put a maze of orange sheets around Central Park? She claims it was all art. Yeah, how?

One of the bloggers I follow here on WordPress, Victoria Grefer, recently talked about how literature is not taken seriously these days. My comment was, and I’ll say it here too: I think that is because our society has changed in such a way that the average person does not have time to take in art as an expression. We all live more stressful, busy lives. And there so much distraction these days – TV, the Internet, smartphones. It’s as if we’re numbing ourselves and turning into robots who can’t appreciate the human experience. I wonder what will become of human beings if we continue down this route – and by that, I mean the numbing, not the classical art appreciation.

This is a topic I’ve been meaning to bring up and I’ve been re-writing this blog post so much because I ramble so much. But this captures a lot of what I am trying to say. We need to appreciate the arts more not because they are lovely and we should revive tradition. We should do it for our own minds, hearts and even souls.

Is Writing an Art?

24 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by Megan in On Writing

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

art, artisans, artist, artsy, artsy people, authors, books, creating, creation, creative, creativity, novelists, novels, stories, storytelling, writers

I’ve always wondered if writing is an art. I know it is a craft, but is it also an art?

One reason why I wonder is because art is considered something that we create. That would mean creating characters, their world and their conflicts, would be an art, right?

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Image via Wikimedia Commons

But when we think of the word, “artist”, many think of a painter, dancer or musician. I get the impression writers are further down the list of potential artists.

According to Merriam-Webster, an artist is:

  • one who professes and practices an imaginative art, or a person skilled in the fine arts.

Hmm. While telling a story is certainly imaginative art, it is not considered a fine art. Poetry maybe, but not fiction.

However, there’s this second definition by Merriam-Webster:

  • one who is adept at something

So, in this way, if the writer is very good, writing can be an art.

But what is art, really?

It has so many definitions, not including the usual painting and dancing. Small talk is called an art. Coming up with a skillful plan is too, so is learning to assemble furniture. So, art altogether is being very skilled at something.

But can a writer be lumped in with the sculptors and clothing designers? Perhaps. Some stories require great imagination. I would say J.K. Rowling is more of an artist than Jodi Piccoult because she created a world not at all like ours. We don’t have magic or a boarding school for magic, with paintings talking to us. Jodi Piccoult’s worlds are much like ours.

However, to make your readers feel the emotion of your characters – that can be an art. I’ve always thought being artsy meant pouring your thoughts and feelings into your creation. So if we’re pouring those aspects into our stories, or expressing the feelings of our characters, that certainly sounds artistic to me.

 

August 2022
S M T W T F S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  
« Apr    

Archives

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

The Dark Proposal by Megan Cashman

Now on Kindle!

Also on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/276775

My Facebook Page

My Facebook Page

Twitter Updates

Error: Please make sure the Twitter account is public.

Categories

  • Author Interviews
  • Being an Author
  • Between Light and Dark
  • Blog Awards
  • Book Trailers/Videos
  • Books
  • Characters
  • Entertainment
  • Miscellaneous
  • My Books
  • On Writing
  • Random Thoughts & Opinions
  • Reading
  • Reviews
  • Self-Publishing
  • Staten Island
  • Storytelling Musings
  • The Cats
  • The Dark Proposal
  • The Future
  • Vampires
  • Word Grammar Punctuation

Recent Posts

  • Vampires Today: Smartphones
  • Who is Your Audience?
  • Are Vampires Passe?
  • Why Do I Write?
  • “The Dark Proposal” – on tour at Bewitching Book Tours

Top Posts & Pages

  • Disclaimer: This is a Work of Fiction...
  • Vampires Today: Smartphones
  • Mom, Dad - Please Don't Read My Book!
  • Why the Hate for Fictional Characters?
  • My Shout Out to Fellow Staten Island Authors
©Megan Cashman and Megan Cashman Books 2012 - 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Megan Cashman and Megan Cashman Books with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Blogroll

  • Discuss
  • Get Inspired
  • Get Polling
  • Get Support
  • Learn WordPress.com
  • The Dark Proposal – Now on Kindle!
  • Theme Showcase
  • WordPress Planet
  • WordPress.com News

Archives

wordpress stats plugin

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Megan Cashman
    • Join 1,392 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Megan Cashman
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...