WRONG.
Here's why: Sentimentality has become a taboo word in the world of creative art for good reasons. It can certainly be powerful, nothing short of moving, but it is a vehicle of falsities. That's really the distinguishing factor here: truth vs. non-truth. It's like covering a chunk of dirt with vanilla frosting. What's wrong with the chunk of dirt anyway?! Sentimentality is excessive. It's kitsch but without the whole knowing what you're doing part. More than anything it's a road block. Sentimentality is like putting up a wall around your soul. It's like pretending to open your heart, but not realizing you're just saying something because you think you should. Does this sound harsh? Please, take me plainly.
Here's why I'm on this kick: I've been thinking about art a lot these days. What makes it good, or great, or bad. Why is one artist appreciated and others not? The thing I keep coming back to is honesty. Now, that's not an easy concept to wrap your head around. What makes something honest, or dishonest for that matter? Don't things just exist? Well, maybe, but probably not. Honesty is when you make something for all the right reasons. Now, I must also say that truth is not universal. There exists a hierarchy of values, one that is different for everyone, so honesty will have different products and different motivators for different people.
I think this all really came home to me last year when I was taking a poetry class. Day One I walk in and lay down my best thy's and shall's. I read my poem aloud and the first thing my teacher said was "It's 2008." That's all he needed to say. Do I say thy and shall in 2008? No way. Why would I assume that it's more artistic? It created absolutely no entry into my psyche. The only thing that it produced was a watered down version of my watered down memory of the watered down version of Macbeth that I heard in high school. I just find it very interesting that when we have a pen in our hands we suddenly become different people, myself included. I was kind of going for a brunt approach on this post just to escape from that!
Art isn't beautiful because it puts a gloss on our dreams. It's not rubbing vaseline on the camera lens (although when they did it back in the day it was cool!). Art is beautiful and timeless because it's not perfect and it doesn't try to be. And it shouldn't.
Great comment lacking sentimentality:
It's like with my running. I get so caught up in training for my coaches and worrying about meets--who will be there and who I need to beat. I get so caught up in personal bests and split times, that I forget why I truly began to run.
It wasn't for my coaches. It wasn't to beat that girl in red. It was over a decade ago when I was chasing neighbor kids in the yard, and running from squirt guns. It was when we played tag and raced home for dinner.
It wasn't for my coaches. It wasn't to beat that girl in red. It was over a decade ago when I was chasing neighbor kids in the yard, and running from squirt guns. It was when we played tag and raced home for dinner.
Yes, it has nostalgic sentiment, but it's delivered straight ahead and I can imagine the person saying it. That's the key!
Thanks for all of the great comments. My readership contains more than a few budding Shakespeare's. Please continue to comment. They mean the world to me.
Thanks for keeping it real, peeps.
Love.
5 comments:
fyi - on "the rambles of life" i was just in the mood to write in a children's book style. kitsch. kitsch.
I looked up the words, sentimentality, sentimental, and sentiment. I didn't realize before this, that, according to the dictionary, all three words deal with excessive, exaggerated, and even self-indulgent ways of expressing feelings. I wish that I hadn't read this. I always thought of sentimentality as being very tender. What am I supposed to think, now, when I hear the tune, "Sentimental Journey", or other tunes that use the word "sentimental"? As for your statement, "sentimentality is a vehicle of falsities", I'm not sure that I follow this. Aren't a person's sentiments their true feelings about someone or something? Isn't true art an appendage of the artist's sentiments? I do like your statement: Art is beautiful and timeless because it's not perfect and it doesn't try to be. I really like that comment.
great comment!!! at the core of sentimental things is truth, i won't argue that. the "falsities" i wrote about are just those excessive and exaggerated feelings you spoke about on the periphery of that truth. i used "vehicle" to say that by being sentimental one is allowing themselves access to the highway of exaggeration.
Be careful with language...
I think you are asking good questions, and you should keep going.
Here are some of the reactions/questions I had:
"Honesty is when you make something for all the right reasons. "
What are the right reasons? I have started to entertain what elements make certain works of art successful as well. I have noticed that these artists seem to have a goal in mind about what they are trying to accomplish and make effective choices that help communicate their vision.
There are many reasons for creating art, and I don't believe there are necessarily right or wrong reasons, but I think some artist make intelligent choices in order to effectively communicate an idea, that is hopefully interesting.
"Day One I walk in and lay down my best thy's and shall's. I read my poem aloud and the first thing my teacher said was "It's 2008." That's all he needed to say. Do I say thy and shall in 2008? No way. Why would I assume that it's more artistic? It created absolutely no entry into my psyche. The only thing that it produced was a watered down version of my watered down memory of the watered down version of Macbeth that I heard in high school. I just find it very interesting that when we have a pen in our hands we suddenly become different people, myself included."
We always come from our past and have reference. I believe your initial desire to imitate poetry you knew was valid and honest. That history is a part of who you are and how you form information.
The poem you made showed that you valued some part of what you referenced, and that it was a part of your history.
This is a lesson . This experience can help you notice and become aware of what value you place on element of art you experience and art you create.
"Now, I must also say that truth is not universal. "
I have been thinking about this idea often. I would recommend you research Kierkegaard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWMj6-MMf_k&feature=related
Sentiment has power, and I don't think you should disregard it so forcefully. Explore all the options, and notice what you value about each extreme and all in between, and let that information inform the choices you make, and also let it change.
I have more thoughts, but this comment is already quite long. I hope this gives you some food for thought. Especially the video.
By the way, ignore the scratchiness of the video and keep watching all the way through.
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