Why am I moving from one literary genre to another?
This is a question I often ask myself. What I do is just the opposite of branding, perhaps because I find ways to surprise myself. So my books cannot easily be classified in the narrow confines of a particular genre, because life as we know it–and my art, which mirrors it– constantly changes from one genre to the next. One moment is is humorous; the next, it is erotic; then, it might be a tragedy.
Consider my books: Rise to Power (historical fiction) A Favorite Son (biblical fiction), Apart From Love (contemporary fiction), Twisted (dark fantasy), Home (poetry) or Jess and Wiggle and Now I Am Paper (childrens' books), they all come from the same pen. I love writing both poetry and prose. They look different on the page: the white space surrounding the letters, in my mind, is like the surface of an ocean. In poetry, it covers nearly all the page, allowing only the a few words to erupt over the surface, because a poem in essence is a burst of emotion. As you read it, you cannot see under the white surface–there is so much hidden underneath! It is an island. In prose, on the other hand, the writer dives into the undercurrents and explores the landscape sunk beneath the surface, so there are many connections being created and being understood by the reader.
My writing has often been called ‘lyrical’ by many of my reviewers on Goodreads and Amazon, perhaps because I treat each word with great care, and give thought to every sentence, every phrase, every comma. Similar to the rhythm and rhymes in poetry, I listen to the rhythms of our speech, so the characters in my prose will talk in the flow that reflects their feelings. So all in all, I use parallel techniques for both my poetry and prose.
I bring everything I have experienced, everything I have learned into my work. My art and my writing are two sides of the same coin, which you can easily realize when you see the cover images of my books, and when you read them.
The process of creativity is, for me, the same. It is a juxtaposition of ideas, a spark that creates an inspiration. Consider, for example, my two charcoal drawings: The first is a study of a nude, and the second is drawn straight out of a dream, and it features several strange, imaginary creatures, at times penetrating each other, at times wrapping their arms in embrace. Unrelated as these two drawings may seem to be, they came together in my mind, to create an oil painting where reality is uncertain: both the nude and the creature are semi-transparent, and it is unclear if she is dreaming up this creature, or if it is dreaming her up.
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I also draw, paint , write, play music etc. To me these are different colors on the same palette. I don't really differentiate - that is to say, I'm aware they are different forms of expression, but similar rules apply to each: theme, light, dark, contrast, composition, dynamic range. Some people like to put you in a box because it's easier for THEM to deal with. I like to say "YES" to things that interest me - to release my own creativity and potential. I find as I get older the lines increasingly blur between disciplines as I "dip my brush into each of the colors on my palette".
ReplyDeleteBeautifully said, David. And, I new that you write, play music, narrate, direct films, and have a gift with taking pics with your camera, and the many other talents you have, but I didn't know you draw and paint! Now you're making me curious!
DeleteYour final art piece is very sensual and something that I could look at again and again and find something new each time. Quite lovely!
ReplyDeleteOh thank you! More that a dab of darkness in each one of them...
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