Monday Memos and Are You a Little Insane?

"The creative person is both more primitive and more cultivated, more destructive, a lot madder and a lot saner, than the average person."

-Frank Barron

There often are moments throughout the day where I feel a little insane. They come at various times; sometimes logically so and others a bit not. As a student it is often pressed upon us that artists are mad and in their madness they push people & the world away. That they are constantly at odds with order and the typical workings of life - therefore they create a surrealistic creation so that they do not have to accept or deny reality.

Bullocks.

Yes, we talk to ourselves.

Yes, we sometimes talk to fictional characters.

Yes, we observe the oddest things around us seeing inspiration in the oddity.

Yes, we feel things that most overlook and we attempt to recreate the feeling with our medium.

Yes, we accept that there are going to be days where we want to pull our hair out and days where utter bliss will fill us.

Yes, we do not ask the obvious questions yet we want others to.

Yes, we are possessive, we are controlling, we are determined, we are emotional and we are unique.

All perfect ingredients for a modern solitary Mad Hatter.

People forget that the Mad Hatter had the White Rabbit/March Hare, the Dormouse & of course various visitors. That he welcomed the normal and the abnormal. That he had insight and yet also was blinded by his intelligence. He asked questions and rolled the answers around his mind. He had answers and waited for questions in order to stir your thoughts. The Mad Hatter was more than silly songs and wild clothing, he had heart, passion and a mind full of imagination. Insane? That is subjective to the viewer. Solitary? No. Creative? Yes. Extraordinary? Unlike any other character before or after him.

If my creative process pushes me to learn more by asking odd questions then so be it.

If a paint color forces me to examine a landscape more closely - bring on the suitcases.

If a sentence structure keeps me up at night - thank goodness for Critique Partners.

If characters speak in my mind and I reply - I thank technology for bluetooth and the fact that most people walk around appearing to talk to no one these days as it is.

If my odd hours and weird habits (Watermelon Jolly Ranchers anyone? - Did I brush my hair today?) make my appearance frighten the neighborhood children so be it - I can be the crazy writer lady...no problem with that so long as writer is in the title.

I do not use any of these things to block out reality. In fact it is quite the opposite. My work is based on reality. No, not necessarily setting or physical character descriptions. Reality is passion - heart - pain - sorrow - loss - success - failure - denial - acceptance - danger - survival - hate - forgiveness. It is the traits that each of us possess in life. These traits are what we make of them when creating and we are blessed to work within, around and among reality. Every day we should take note from the Mad Hatter:

"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?"

Yes. I see. Create. Explore. Flip the Script then flip it back! Embrace the obvious and obscure! Create nonsense out of the norm and norm out of nonsense. No matter what - CREATE! Be Mad and be proud of it!

***

A look at the blogosphere today and well...maybe we all really are a bit Mad... ;o)

• The Beatles and Horses. Do I need to say more to entice you over to Portia's Blog today?
• Talli Roland asks about...posture today...You didn't see that one coming did ya?
• Do you associate Chinese food with the fear of disappointment? No? Well maybe you should see whyJanet did?
• Have you murdered someone lately? Um..okay well Elana has! ;o)
• Morons with Gumption? Road Construction? Need I say anymore before you head over to Wendy's post?
• Are you an Airhead? Do you want to win one or three?Shannon's got the goods!
• Yesterday there was a great deal of shameless flirting going around the blogosphere...if you missed out be sure to click here for the list of entries & here for my nervous flirt'n...

Have a Memorable Monday!