Emma Sklar 7/29/2016
I write because I believe that I am articulate, but ordinary. My experience is mine alone but it is also universal, so because I can write, I do. I hope by offering an honest exploration of my inner world in which I seek to resolve some of my own anxieties and questions I might be helping someone else as well. Or sometimes I just want to be funny. Either way to even sit down to start writing I have to believe that I’m not a useless turd who can’t do anything right. You have to believe that I feel that way sometimes, but that’s different than believing it to be true. What’s perplexing is that I feel bad about not believing myself to be a useless trash turd, because I guess it feels borderline narcissistic to feel good about myself, especially given that my writing is so personal. Many great writers style themselves as bewitching pools of self-loathing and chaos. Confidence is sexy, but sexier than darkness and despair? It’s the duality of the broken hearted poet and the Rockstar and as a writer who is trying to find a voice it does sometimes feel like one has to pick a side.
Writing is lonely fucking work to begin with. I imagine it is the same for painting and song writing or glassblowing or competitive hair braiding, although I have to say in what little song writing I have attempted the satisfaction is almost immediate- it isn’t until later that I decide that what I’ve come up with is garbage. I imagine that for anyone who knows what they’re doing and likes the sound of their own voice an evening of writing songs would actually make you feel extremely powerful and in control even when everything is falling apart. “Finishing” a piece of writing can have that effect, but nothing is ever finished because I feel that it is done. Things are finished when I can’t stand to look at them anymore- they might not be done but I am FUCKING DONE with them. But then I’m not a very good writer. Well, I might be a good writer- that’s pretty subjective- but I’m certainly not a very successful one. I have yet to summon the drive or the patience to follow through and make things happen with my writing. I don’t hate my work though. I sometimes worry that my content isn’t riveting or powerful, but that’s more of an anxiety about the content of my life more than anything else.
I am not an objective reporter inserting myself into the thick of interesting experiences for the benefit of the reader. I am just trying to lead my normal goddamn life and squeeze as much epiphanous nectar as I can from the feelings-cacti in the barren expanse of my emotional desert. Sure, I could commit time in my life to doing things that I maybe wouldn’t do otherwise for the sake of a good hook, but the thing is that I am not at all cool and I will never be on the forefront of anything so I need other people to write their blogs about venues I’ve never heard of and donuts I probably won’t eat and where to get the best kimchi whatever even though I don’t like kimchi that much .And ya know what? I don’t think anyone really does. At least not enough to be putting it on EVERYTHING and acting like it’s unicorn poo or whatever stupid made up thing hipsters are currently “obsessed” with.
...Where was I? Oh right. I am not cool. I don’t know where the good shit is. I know where the shit I like is and I’m really not that concerned with being able to talk about having gone to a place that exists so people will go to it as if that is some kind of accomplishment. I am also a bit of a nay-sayer but only because I truly believe that people who are super gung-ho all the time, especially on social media, are actually usually the first people to exclude anyone who doesn’t fit in with their flashy, super outgoing idea of fun. I’m always very impressed by people who go out of their way to involve strangers in conversations, but logically one can only offer genuine friendship to so many people, and I personally just don’t see the point of filling your life with weak connections. Maybe this is why I am not particularly successful but I am consistently content. “Happiness” in another concept I believe to be dangerous and highly falsified so I try to avoid using it as a way to describe my mental state. To each his own.
ANYWAY I’m getting off track again but my point is that in order to write I have to believe in my perspective because I am never going to corner any hip or niche audience, and I think the reason I can do that is because on a basic level I like myself. I have some shit to work on but it doesn’t feel totally hopeless. Hopelessness is very romantic though, and I think a lot of artists, mostly men if I am being honest, cling to it as a safeguard against rejection. Oh you don’t like it? Well FUCK YOU, because I already didn’t like it even harder. I won’t lie, it is very sexy for some stupid reason when someone is creative but broken, but I think that’s because creative people who understand their worth are some of the most intimidating people on the planet so the alternative feels a little safer. The confident ones not only have a unique ability, but they have a voice, and when wielded correctly it’s a very powerful thing.
An artist of any kind can be legendary and still get sunk by their own self-loathing, and maybe the self-loathing was part of what made their work special, it’s hard to say, but a confident artist can take adversity and spin it around to make themselves stronger, so if I do have to pick a side, I pick confidence. This isn’t some morning affirmation self-help bullshit. This is just starting from a place of “it’s good that I’m me” and running with it. Some day I still hope to write a beautiful, tragic song that makes everyone want to cry until they throw up a little, because I think that must be a pretty amazing thing to achieve, but when it comes to writing I’ll leave the darkness and suffering to the cool kids who know how to do it in style.
