Yet again I face that empty page...
Yet again I face that empty page
.
— by @d-pend —
Note
I have written in the near-past regarding some of the reasons why we don't write, even though we may have something we would very much like to express. On a somewhat different bent, I'd like to discuss very briefly why I do write — and enjoy writing in as many different ways I can conceive of. I have always had the orientation of a generalist; I am curious about just about everything and make no guarantees to be the best, nor an expert at anything I do, though I continue to aspire in that direction.
As a "dan of all trades," I like to leverage the crosstraining aspect of whatever I do in order to more efficiently progress towards mastery. As an example, for me it is important to be able to write many kinds of prose, poetry, and musical forms extending from the most "vulgar" (in the sense of common) to the most refined. I have always been fascinated about the similarities and differences between poetic prose, verse poetry, so-called "free poetry," spoken-word or urban poetry, and rap/hip-hop.
Hip-hop is something that has always spoken to me once I got old enough to be allowed to listen to it, and even though the 2000's and 2010's wasn't exactly the best in terms of timeless quality of popular tracks, when you're young you don't really care about that as long as something is catchy. The bravado and irreverence of hip-hop is appealing in adolescence and has some similarities with the appeal of various kinds of rock music to the same age group.
Perhaps it is that confidence, the catchiness, the devil-may-care attitude, the freedom to say what one really wants to express even if it is taboo that is a large part of why I am a fan of, and creator of, rap/hip-hop/spoken word. Also, any folk-form that is familiar to the common person draws me, as high-flown art with no reference to the vulgarities of human experience does not satisfy or connect with most people. Any artist at the pinnacle of their craft eventually realizes the desire for what they create to have at least the potential to connect with any human being, anywhere, and at any time — regardless of the seeming-illogicality and perhaps shocking grandiosity of that desire.
Before I ramble on too much longer, I want to share a quick free-write rap/spoken-word piece that I wrote early this morning in between working on an unfinished collaboration with my good friend @rusty-jernigan, with whom I've collaborated quite a bit in the past, though we haven't yet finished any complete releases. That is definitely in the works! I am still quite hopeful about the potential of future-paradigm content-creation platforms to bring abundance and freedom to artists like yours truly to be secure enough to be able to focus on creating full time, whatever the medium may be.
I wish you a wonderful day, and tenacity in these tough times—
Daniel Pendergraft / @d-pend
As a "dan of all trades," I like to leverage the crosstraining aspect of whatever I do in order to more efficiently progress towards mastery. As an example, for me it is important to be able to write many kinds of prose, poetry, and musical forms extending from the most "vulgar" (in the sense of common) to the most refined. I have always been fascinated about the similarities and differences between poetic prose, verse poetry, so-called "free poetry," spoken-word or urban poetry, and rap/hip-hop.
Hip-hop is something that has always spoken to me once I got old enough to be allowed to listen to it, and even though the 2000's and 2010's wasn't exactly the best in terms of timeless quality of popular tracks, when you're young you don't really care about that as long as something is catchy. The bravado and irreverence of hip-hop is appealing in adolescence and has some similarities with the appeal of various kinds of rock music to the same age group.
Perhaps it is that confidence, the catchiness, the devil-may-care attitude, the freedom to say what one really wants to express even if it is taboo that is a large part of why I am a fan of, and creator of, rap/hip-hop/spoken word. Also, any folk-form that is familiar to the common person draws me, as high-flown art with no reference to the vulgarities of human experience does not satisfy or connect with most people. Any artist at the pinnacle of their craft eventually realizes the desire for what they create to have at least the potential to connect with any human being, anywhere, and at any time — regardless of the seeming-illogicality and perhaps shocking grandiosity of that desire.
Before I ramble on too much longer, I want to share a quick free-write rap/spoken-word piece that I wrote early this morning in between working on an unfinished collaboration with my good friend @rusty-jernigan, with whom I've collaborated quite a bit in the past, though we haven't yet finished any complete releases. That is definitely in the works! I am still quite hopeful about the potential of future-paradigm content-creation platforms to bring abundance and freedom to artists like yours truly to be secure enough to be able to focus on creating full time, whatever the medium may be.
Daniel Pendergraft / @d-pend
Yet again I face that empty page
An empty page generally speaks to me
Of possibility — potentially anxiety
At falling short of false perfection:
That manufactured expectation unrealized
Follows one spectre-like, anneals my
Iron heart grown harder, yet still pliable
Enough to melt by idealized romances, imaginations,
Fanciful distances enact the space to fantasize
So the object and the subject plied
Apart could better glean their being,
Apart from fettered, biased seeing,
Apart from childish ring-bestowal
And I, enjeweled by refusal
Diadem-embracing, rise
To greet the day beneath her skies
Who beckon possibility:
An empty slate, an empty page
And endless opportunity.
to be published on-chain on April 7th, 2020.
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Thank you for all your continued support!
Much love, and be well :-)
#writing #rap #freewrite #poetry #blog #motivation #palnet #powerhousecreatives #creativecoin #inspiration
You've got the utmost time to do the writing and just like you said, it will aid you to mastery.
I am on the contrary though. I prefer spending a hole lot of time drawing to writing.
Well, the main thing is that we have the same target - to get better in what we do.
I've always loved a blank page, for that sense of opportunity. I also think my favorite part is the beginning, something I just realized in thinking about this.