Art not Power

J.R.R. Tolkien was a prolific letter writer, so much so that there is an entire tome compiling his correspondence. In Letter 131, Tolkien writes that “[Elvish] ‘magic’ is Art… and its object is Art not Power, sub-creation not domination.” Distilling this into a theme of Art versus Power, this magic of Tolkien had already meant a lot to me (only the meaning of life). The following – originating as a journal entry – is a reflection on this and related themes.

I am newly unemployed and, as some function of this, am starting to feel a little depressed. Having been down this road before, I’m cognizant of the crucial need to maintain my hope against it. I just watched the new movie “A Poet” starring Ubeimar Rios and Rebeca Andrade (it was fantastic). On the lookout for inspiration, I noticed that Rios, playing a failed poet, struggles with Art versus Power. Seeing this theme unfold across Rios’ misadventures, I wondered what life would look like intentionally using it as a lens. For example, do I only do X to exert control, or do I do Y purposely? Do I avoid things (writing) to control against the fear of failure? Yes, of course. It feels like a healthy, refreshing perspective digging up the roots of my mental health weeds.

I just finished reading Hamlet, and a quote from our prince is “Do not spread the compost on the weeds to make them ranker.” To me, this means don’t make a situation worse by adding more negatives to it. I am in a slump right now and neglecting what makes me happy – exercising, socializing, making art – will only guarantee I slump further. Avoiding these pleasures is succumbing to the powerful quagmire, while continuing to pursue them despite downward pull is an artform.

Lastly, from their latest album Little Rope, Sleater-Kinney has a song called Hunt You Down with the lyric “the thing you fear the most will hunt you down.” Every time I’d hear it while marathon training, I’d be quick to apply it to my running: what I feared most was not being prepared for the race, and I happily realized that I was doing the one and only thing I could to conquer the fear: actually running. Now, the thing I fear the most is letting my life pass me by without having reciprocated the inspiration art has given me. In a cruel irony, my very avoidance and struggle for control against uncertainty ensures my fear hunts me down: I live life without creating. As actually running ensured I was ready for the marathon, the only way I can conquer this fear is through actually writing.

These are ideas I had already known, half-consciously or otherwise, but framing and connecting them like this offers a fresh, hope-inspiring perspective. Think: I was just inspired by three different modes of art: books, music, and movies. *That* is the magic I want to contribute.