Which is why, ultimately, being stuck behind our screens is (or can be) evil...Because it removes us from those love generating experiences: time with our family, time spent creating, and those truly lived moments. So in this world of ever increasing screen time and AI solutions, how do we promote those individual creative experiences as a society?
I had a big creative outlet in music but despite making four albums it just wouldn’t fill the void. That required having a child, and God willing, more children. Don’t leave it till your late thirties kids! And don’t get a vasectomy 🤦🏼♂️
Wonderful analogies, Drew. Nailed it. Creation from words can be joyfully life-like and amazing; creation of a living, breathing child, life carried on to the next generation, is beautiful beyond words.
Ho come on , don’t just leave us all hanging, what happened to the suicide guy did he live or not.
You say creation is the greatest love what about job where you save someone on a phone call created in the image of God ……. and your worried about moving a commas or two around !
And you mean he didn’t get back in touch by way of thank you ! That’s ingratitude for you . As Jesus once said when curing the loper “there’s no pleasing some people” ….. no wait , that’s “the life of Brian”,my mistake .
I've gotten behind on my Substack reading and so I'm late reading this but needed to comment: I too loved (obsessively) this musical, and especially that song. (Did you ever read the story about Patinkin singing it for Sondheim in rehearsal--Sondheim said, "That was perfect!!" And Patinkin never again was able to (at least in his own mind) sing it that well. ). I played the Broadway album incessantly. My husband (we were poor newlyweds in Boston) flew me to NY to see it in September of 1983.
But what I took away from that song is not really positive. It's a picture, to me, of the compulsive and nearly self-destructive drive of the artist that destroys relationships in pursuit of an elusive (unattainable?) perfection. I determined that I would not be that artist.
I've written a lot of plays in the wee hours, or between diaper changes. And yes, there is a part of the artist's mind that is always at work in the background. But I would encourage artists not to use that song to romance the lonely artist's life. I don't think that's what Sondheim intended. His portrayal of Seurat was of a tortured man unable to be fully present to the woman he loved. I believe our Creator God has called us to be creative. But surely never at the expense of our human relationships. That would be a true contradiction in terms, since we are truly pro-creative only in relationship.
Which is why, ultimately, being stuck behind our screens is (or can be) evil...Because it removes us from those love generating experiences: time with our family, time spent creating, and those truly lived moments. So in this world of ever increasing screen time and AI solutions, how do we promote those individual creative experiences as a society?
I had a big creative outlet in music but despite making four albums it just wouldn’t fill the void. That required having a child, and God willing, more children. Don’t leave it till your late thirties kids! And don’t get a vasectomy 🤦🏼♂️
Wonderful analogies, Drew. Nailed it. Creation from words can be joyfully life-like and amazing; creation of a living, breathing child, life carried on to the next generation, is beautiful beyond words.
Ho come on , don’t just leave us all hanging, what happened to the suicide guy did he live or not.
You say creation is the greatest love what about job where you save someone on a phone call created in the image of God ……. and your worried about moving a commas or two around !
Well, yeah, he lived. I sent the ambulance! He lived through that night anyway. More I don't know.
And you mean he didn’t get back in touch by way of thank you ! That’s ingratitude for you . As Jesus once said when curing the loper “there’s no pleasing some people” ….. no wait , that’s “the life of Brian”,my mistake .
P.S. are my commas in the right place ?
I was wondering what happened to the guy too. lol.
I've gotten behind on my Substack reading and so I'm late reading this but needed to comment: I too loved (obsessively) this musical, and especially that song. (Did you ever read the story about Patinkin singing it for Sondheim in rehearsal--Sondheim said, "That was perfect!!" And Patinkin never again was able to (at least in his own mind) sing it that well. ). I played the Broadway album incessantly. My husband (we were poor newlyweds in Boston) flew me to NY to see it in September of 1983.
But what I took away from that song is not really positive. It's a picture, to me, of the compulsive and nearly self-destructive drive of the artist that destroys relationships in pursuit of an elusive (unattainable?) perfection. I determined that I would not be that artist.
I've written a lot of plays in the wee hours, or between diaper changes. And yes, there is a part of the artist's mind that is always at work in the background. But I would encourage artists not to use that song to romance the lonely artist's life. I don't think that's what Sondheim intended. His portrayal of Seurat was of a tortured man unable to be fully present to the woman he loved. I believe our Creator God has called us to be creative. But surely never at the expense of our human relationships. That would be a true contradiction in terms, since we are truly pro-creative only in relationship.
I’m even further behind than you but I loved this letter and your comment was very insightful. Thank you and to Mr. Klavan.
Wow this was very deep and meaningful. As an artist myself (music), I resonated with it. Thank you.