TIN CUP STUDIOS

 The current environment of writing

Is it so much different now?

G.E.Graves

Writing, in its many forms, is intended to capture one’s imagination. The telling of one’s essence, the sharing in verse is primal. Consider prehistoric cave paintings. They, without any words, share a dramatic event, an event possessing a profound effect upon their lives. Writing today is much the same as those ancient picture-glyphs. It remains an attempt to express the inexpressible in words.

This, in one way or another, is what all writing strives to accomplish. Writing is an attempt at taking what we all possess inside and try tapping into the reader’s soul, into their experiences, in a way that truly strikes a chord. All this may sound easy, and actually it is, but it is not as clear-cut as it seems.

There are many different people with vastly different experiences, but there are commonalities. We all live, breathe, love, hate, and desire, these tie the bind us all together. Humanity, from its earliest days, has found ways of communicating these feelings, these emotions to others. Now though, with invent of written language, we can express these sentiments in a consistent and considered way. This does not remove the primal, the primitive, or the brute power of our expressions. In many ways, it enhances how we articulate.

This is writing, the ability to compress intense emotion and expressive thought into words that resonate with others. Much like the cave paintings, writing strives to produce, combine, and add to our experiences and understandings of the world.

Many other forces have played a part in how literature has evolved. Moving forward, within the constraints of society, writing has been shaped by the economics of our culture into a tool. Filtered through a publisher, words have become well crafted into what is deemed quality. Unfortunately, in many cases, what is published is designed to fit a certain target, a certain ambition. Of course this deliberate control is not productive. It leads to self-serving goals that are profit, political, or idealistically driven. Only free expression, free thinking, can advance the cause of creativity. Trying to fit expression to any given arena hinders what we direly crave. Yet, this is the world of traditional publishing. Where they, the publisher, for reasons all their own, decide what will be put to press.

Now, with the computer age, print on demand, and self-publishing authors, the art of writing may seem to have changed, but it has not. All that has changed is the ability to publish without imposed constraints. It has been said, at least in the beginning, that this newly formed platform of writing could be considered of poor quality. However, who is to judge quality? It is, as it should be, the readers that decide what is worthy writing.

Writing continues to be an expression, a way to put forth ideas for others to enjoy and appreciate; much like the cave paintings of the past. However, advancements have been made. Improvements in the method of sharing, transmitting, may have changed, but not the actual purpose for writing.

We now live in a world lost in the buzz of content everywhere. However, is it that different from our primitive relatives? Let us keep in mind that essentially nothing has changed, except the methods of communications. Now, as before, the ability to express is the true essence of creativeness.