Writing on, and about, an island

Posts Tagged ‘Philosophy’

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Monday Morning Inspiration (“Why writers write”)

In Writing on July 2, 2012 at 9:26 am

I love this Brain Pickings post on George Orwell’s philosophy for why writers are compelled to write. According to GO (one of my favourite writers), it comes down to:

  1. Sheer egoism
  2. Aesthetic enthusiasm
  3. Historical impulse
  4. Political purpose

This is in stark contrast to today’s writing culture, where we have writers who say that their only motivation is to write for their readers.

I say bollocks to this falsely modest reasoning – I think writers inherently write for themselves and are pushing their own agenda, whatever that may be.

And writers should not feel pressured to be PC about why they write. It dumbs the process and the craft and the result down. How many artists do you know who say they create their art just for the viewer?

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Alain de Botton. Advertising. Creativity. And skulls on desks.

In Books, Career, Crime & Mystery Writer, Writing on June 22, 2012 at 5:03 pm

Three things…

My ceramic skull by Tasmanian artist Marion Abraham

1. I have a turquoise ceramic skull on my desk at home. I bought it as a present to myself when I finished the first draft of my book. It alternately creeps me out, inspires me to write about death (something I think about pretty much all day long) AND reminds me to keep perspective (which is important when you’re predisposed to think about death all day long).

2. I work in advertising. That’s my day job. And every big campaign or teeny ad I come up with is arrived at by:

trying to find the truth of something;
the insight that comes from the truth;
the idea that can express that insight;
and then the execution that will catch the public’s eye…

3. After a hiatus, I am restarting my Masters degree next year (I’ve done a third of it so far). I’ll be studying philosophy – which I’ve always wanted to do yet somehow, until now, had felt was not practical or relevant enough for my pragmatic mind…

What do these three things have in common?

This cool Mumbrella post, and [thinking woman’s crumpet] Alain de Botton’s musings on skulls, creativity, advertising and philosophy – that’s what!

Seems I’m on the right track.

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Monday Morning Inspiration for Creatives

In Career, Writing on March 5, 2012 at 9:44 am

How to find your purpose and do what you love? This Brain Pickings post has some pointers… Not least, of course, the Holstee Manifesto.

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