No Purity In Art

I’ve been listening to the audio book of Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow and I’m really enjoying it. I like that the main characters are my age and are super relatable. I’m enjoying the glimpse into the world of gaming and game designing. And I like the questions it raises about art and creativity.

This quote in particular caught my attention:

There is no purity in art. The process of how you arrive at something doesn’t matter at all.

I totally agree. Everything we make as artists is really just an accumulation and reorganization of the art we take in. The shows we watch, the books we read, the conversations we have… they all seep into our subconscious, mingle with whatever it is that makes us unique, get processed through our synapses and ultimately come out as something entirely original, but not pure. There is no purity in art.

Embrace it. In fact, use it as an excuse to read a novel in the middle of the day or go to the movies. It is our job as artists to absorb as much as we can, to feed our creative minds. And don’t listen to anyone who tells you what you “should” like. Follow the enthusiasm. If you’re drawn to cheesy sci-fi, read cheesy sci-fi. If you love bodice-ripping romance, by all means, read bodice-ripping romance. Then take a long walk, let it all percolate in your brain, and get writing.