Really great, Ian. I do touch the interior intermittently. It's surreal when I am in and time truly flies, but sometimes, because it rolled so easily and intimately, the work created outside of the interior seems and feels substandard. Sounds like longer bouts of being in the interior is the answer. It is exciting to have a label put to it. As an aside: I find that when I eliminate sugar from my diet, my writing flows and the work feels and reads back richer. Congratulations on becoming a dad. Life changing news.
Some of the greatest writing is experienced then created into something tangible. Poetry, and writing in general, is difficult to teach because everyone has a different interpretation of the tangible. Mastery of writing is found by those who have made the subconscious and the intangible into something tangible and compelling. Tolkien is a great example. He never experienced a real Middle Earth (in the sense that it’s a real place to visit). Rather, he used what he saw in life and made Middle Earth a tangible place. Harold Bloom’s theory of poetry is quite interesting because it stems from the idea that we are all influenced by the previous generations of masters.
I agree about the use of the word 'craft', as well as 'content'. These both strike me as neologisms that just seem to permit less than excellent writing and praise everything that appears under the umbrella of 'craft'. Whether that be learning or practicing, it simply begs for mediocre writing and then capitulates to it.
Great thoughts, Karim. Especially for our globalized world, I want to bold the word "perspective." Solitude and real interiority don't necessarily require running across physical borders in search of them. Much newness or invention can be found in the same square meter we stand--or at least type of invention/rediscovery I feel this world desperately needs.
Also, I really like the concept of "negotiation" you brought. We have to risk seeming mad to the rest of the world. And most of us will have to live with our madness on the periphery of large society unless one has that chance/cultivated craft. Cheers!
Really great, Ian. I do touch the interior intermittently. It's surreal when I am in and time truly flies, but sometimes, because it rolled so easily and intimately, the work created outside of the interior seems and feels substandard. Sounds like longer bouts of being in the interior is the answer. It is exciting to have a label put to it. As an aside: I find that when I eliminate sugar from my diet, my writing flows and the work feels and reads back richer. Congratulations on becoming a dad. Life changing news.
You're doing really well, Ian. Thank you for sharing these tips on craft.
Some of the greatest writing is experienced then created into something tangible. Poetry, and writing in general, is difficult to teach because everyone has a different interpretation of the tangible. Mastery of writing is found by those who have made the subconscious and the intangible into something tangible and compelling. Tolkien is a great example. He never experienced a real Middle Earth (in the sense that it’s a real place to visit). Rather, he used what he saw in life and made Middle Earth a tangible place. Harold Bloom’s theory of poetry is quite interesting because it stems from the idea that we are all influenced by the previous generations of masters.
Overall, I enjoyed this podcast. Thank you, Ian.
I agree about the use of the word 'craft', as well as 'content'. These both strike me as neologisms that just seem to permit less than excellent writing and praise everything that appears under the umbrella of 'craft'. Whether that be learning or practicing, it simply begs for mediocre writing and then capitulates to it.
Grant us with more transcendent knowledge you desert magus. Love you Ian. 💚💚
Thank you.
Great thoughts, Karim. Especially for our globalized world, I want to bold the word "perspective." Solitude and real interiority don't necessarily require running across physical borders in search of them. Much newness or invention can be found in the same square meter we stand--or at least type of invention/rediscovery I feel this world desperately needs.
Also, I really like the concept of "negotiation" you brought. We have to risk seeming mad to the rest of the world. And most of us will have to live with our madness on the periphery of large society unless one has that chance/cultivated craft. Cheers!