Ethics and the Artist · 11:39pm Dec 7th, 2014
"Which would you choose: a world with pyramids or a world without?"
Yesterday, I finally got the chance to see the swan song of Hayao Miyazaki, The Wind Rises. By pretty much any metric you care to mention, the film is a masterpiece, and is quite a departure from anything he's done previously. It's a quiet, contemplative movie that has the stones to ask some very deep, very important questions.
The movie is a fictionalized biopic of Jiro Horikoshi, the creator of the Zero fighter, Japan's first all-metal aircraft. The above quote comes during a dream, when the protagonist has an imagined conversation with his hero and idol. It's a startlingly beautiful and simple way to ask a very meaningful question: knowing what we know now about how the pyramids were built using slavery, cruelty and oppression—do those enduring marvels of the world make it all worthwhile? Is creation and beauty more powerful than evil? Jiro has to contemplate this notion as his desire to create beautiful and fantastic aircraft is co-opted by the government, who uses his creations for war. As an artist, though, the question resonated quite deeply with me.
To relate a bit, I have a past. In my past, I've battled with the demon of addiction, specifically addiction to pornography. As a writer, then, I have to ask myself if I have an obligation to my audience. Am I responsible, no matter how little, if someone reads my adult works and falls into a similar path as I did? Is an artist responsible for how other people would interpret or use their work? Do they have an obligation to even think of that? Obviously, trying to control other people's reactions is insanity, and counterproductive to what art really is—but where is that line drawn, if it even exists at all?
In the movie, Jiro comes to the conclusion that he only wants to make something beautiful, and I think that's probably what my answer is, too. I want to write works that resonate with readers, that mean something special. I want to write stories that need to be written.
I think that's why I've lost motivation for Ante Up, and why won't be finishing it. I forgot, just for a bit, why I write to begin with. That isn't a story that needs to be told. That's not to rag on anyone who enjoys or writes such works, but it's not why I'm here. I want to be known as someone who writes stories that deserve to be read and discussed, not someone who writes because he's hunting for followers or to churn out mindless smut. I want to connect with readers.
I want to create something beautiful.
-LAE
Damn... now I'm sad. I liked that story quite a bit. *Insert dejected sigh* I wish you the best of luck in writing your next beautiful masterpiece, but I'll still be hoping that you, some day, come back and finish Ante Up. Some random day where you don't like the look of that "cancelled" tag in your list of complete stories. Until then.
~SolidFire