Blogging and the Nature of Creative Expression

Creative expression is something which is profoundly human.  We create things.  We design buildings.  We write songs.  We paint pictures.  We dance. We act.  We write poems and books.  And yes, we write blogs.  There is something about this human desire for self-expression which is inherently outward directed.  I could write songs that no one else but myself will hear.  I could create whole fantasy worlds and commit them to paper, without sharing them with anyone.  I could draw up fantastic buildings and contraptions that no one else will see.  I could write in a journal that no one else will ever read.  There is nothing wrong if you have some sort of creative work which you hope never sees the light of day.  It is, however, my experience that we want at least some of our art to be noticed and admired.

Whence comes this desire to produce something external to ourselves that is noticed by others?  First of all, creative expression is a profound way we have of getting ourselves "out there."  It is a way we can bridge the gap between the self and the other.  We hope that our thoughts and expressions will some how resonate with others.  It proves to us that we are not alone and we are not the only ones in the world who have felt a certain way.  Perhaps on a deeper level, producing art, producing something that is external to ourselves, is a way for us to make a difference in the world.  It is a way for us to survive ourselves.  It is, in short, one of the ways human beings participate in immortality.  This happens most tangibly with things like paintings, buildings, movies, plays, books, and music which we may happen to produce.  These are things which can last long after we are dead.  However, even dancing, acting, or performing music still can achieve immortality because these particular artistic expressions shape the other people who experience them.

If art is indeed a result of the human desire for immortality, that might explain the close connection between love and art.  With certain forms of art in particular, romantic love is extremely closely woven with the art.  Dancing, poetry, and music (just think of how many 'love songs' there are), come to mind as particularly powerful examples.  What stops us from expressing ourselves creatively to others is the same thing which stops us from expressing love for another: fear of rejection.  Once George McFly can express his love for Lorraine, getting his book published is easy.  This love-art connection should not be surprising when we realize that love is something which is essentially creative.  The natural end of erotic love is the creation of new life.  As it happens, having children is one powerful way in which we humans can survive ourselves and participate in immortality.  The power to create and the power to love may just be two sides of the same coin.  This view is supported, I think, when looking at two of the primary ways of thinking about God in the Christian tradition.  One is the 'God is Love' view.  The other is based on seeing God as he is in relationship to the universe, namely as its Creator.  Creation is nothing less than an act of love.

Thus, I move to the what might be called the heart of this post.  In deciding to start a blog, I have joined with many others in an endeavor which I presume is centered on a desire for self-expression that wants to be noticed by other people.  (I do not presume people start blogs because they are in love, although one would not preclude the other.)  Should you read my blog?  In all honesty probably not.  Of all the volumes and volumes of books that are published and articles that are written everyday and have even been written, few are really worth your time.  Almost certainly there is something better than the unprofessional reflections of a college student you are reading right now.  But the hope of the artist is that his art is worthwhile, that it is meaningful, and that other people can appreciate it.  So I hope that you come back for more, as I give expression to my thoughts and try to participate in immortality in my own creative and expressive way.