Creative influences.

Lately I’ve been listening to a band called The Mimicking Birds. Their song “New Doomsday” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPW8Pz8fFFM&feature=related) uses Tension and Relsease by starting the song out with a slow monologue about better understating steps when reading instructions and it goes on just long enough to make you start wondering when the song is going to start and then the music kicks in to release the tension of the monologue. This song influences me creatively because I love the way it mixes in weird everyday sounds with the music. It uses, not only the initial monologue, but also sounds like a coin dropping, little things that takes a couple of listens to really notice them. I love adding small details to my creative endeavors and this is a perfect example of a way that I would do it.

The movie Inception was anther huge creative influence for me. Its use of Text and Subtext in the final scene is a favorite part of the movie for me (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibX4WbnFdHo). The implied meaning at first is that he made it home and everything is good and back to normal, but then he spins the top and you never see if it falls making the subtext that he may or may not be in reality. I love to keep people wondering when I create things, leaving some ideas up to the audience as opposed to feeding it to them. The effect the ending of that movie had on me continues to this day and I often wonder which was the truth, was he still dreaming? Or was he in fact back at home with his kids? I can only hope to create as much thought with a piece of my own art some day as Inception did.

My third major creative influence is the blog Postsecret (http://www.postsecret.com/). It employs Objective and Subjective subject matter. Some of the secrets have very objective subjects, you know as soon as you see the postcard and/or read the secret what the person is trying to say and why. But there are other secrets that are more subjective, where you aren’t sure what the sender really meant by their secret or don’t really understand the context of it leaving it up for interpretation. I also love the raw emotion that shines through with this blog. People, although anonymously, are bearing their souls out sharing their deepest darkest secrets. While some are humorous, like being turned on by a pillowcase, others are serious to almost awkward point, like admitting to being molested by a loved one. When I create art I want to put every part of myself into it. The parts I’m proud of and love and the parts that make me ashamed and that I hate. It creates a dark beauty that I adore.

 

 

In conclusion, I would define my creativity as a bit of mess, which mixes the everyday beauty with the contrast of its darkness. I like to keep people guessing, and to add details that make it impossible to discover all parts of the general theme in just one look or listen. I want to create things that keep people coming back for more discoveries.