Why do people write? Or rather, why do people write what they write? Do they write to decrease the intensity of their pain or instead decorate it with the right metaphors and place it in front of the world? You see, they say art brings out the best side of a person, then why is it that the best art pieces that a writer creates are in his darkest hours. Maybe, that’s where the beauty of a writer lies; to disguise the grey colour of his canvas and showcase it with the brightest hues.
I believe art is revolutionary, and nothing is more artistic than the fact how art helps people rediscover their truest sense and their truest self. I recently heard a poem by Rutwik Deshpande, where he kept throwing questions to his audience, asking them, “Do people write to be remembered ?” or “Do they write to remember?”
Ever since I heard this, now each time I craft a poem, it makes me introspect and reflect within. I remember starting my Instagram blog in December 2019 only with the intent to make a difference through my words, in the hope of providing a soft, comforting place for my readers where they could introspect and heal. Hence, I decided to write around all tunes of life; self-love, body imaging, love, pain, healing, perplexities of society, and more. But with time as a writer, I have realized we as readers tend to casually read the art pieces without realizing much that every piece of writing, even the shortest has an internal affair with the writer. It is a product of the poet’s psyche, and the poem is a piece of them that they are serving to their readers.
However, with the rising digitalization, art is slowly losing its purity, its essence; and artists all around are expected to force their creativity for creating content. Creativity cannot be forced. It flows and knocks naturally at the artists’ door. The hype of creating new content every day to serve the audience somewhere makes the artists anxious. On the days they can’t write, they feel claustrophobic even with an abundance of oxygen around them. They move around carrying giant-like guilt inside them; the guilt of not doing justice to their art.
We as the youth need to understand that we shouldn’t be blurring the lines between art and content, artists and content creators. Artists like Amrita Pritam, Kamala Das, Gulzaar, Sylvia Path have crafted art pieces that till today bring a smile to our faces. Similarly, today we see young artists around us worshipping their art, trying to create their identity. And all we can and should do is Respect them and their art. Instead of using trending hashtags like “ #artistssegharnahichalta”, We should bring in a societal change where artists and their art both is valued quantifiably and qualitatively.
Well, going back to where we started and again, contemplating Why do people write? Maybe, they write so that their art can meet people labelled as strangers, touch hearts they cannot, travel to places and cities they never can. They write so that their art remains alive even after they are long gone. Or maybe people write to suffice the internal crisis, to blow off the raging fire within them because if they don’t do that, they are afraid that they will set fire to everything that is around, including themselves.
So this means people write for both rage and tranquillity, for love and despair. They weave words to emote, feel and narrate. They weave words for their inner self and for everyone around them. Because you see, art is engraved in our historical scriptures long after their curators are gone. Art has the power to take away the pain and hug you warm on a cold winter night.
It’s ironic that even while writing this, I have a constant thought running through my mind “Why am I even writing this?” And all I can hear from within is, I am writing because I have a pen and a paper. I am writing because I have a voice and an opinion, and I should.
Lastly, if you are someone who loves the world of art, you can visit me at my home @ happy_reading.mallikagrover. I would love it if you find a comfortable room for you there.
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