Why we write
For most of my life I feel like I’ve experienced a narrative around the arts that generally puts them last on the agenda - when it comes to government funding for schools, the arts usually suffer first; art schools, and degrees, seem to be perceived as ‘empty’ or just for those with time on their hands, those who may not aspire to much. Whether this is entirely true or not, it’s hard to tell, but I’ve lived my life in the arts (and an artistic family), and I do feel like I look out at societies that have a way of regarding arts that sees them low on the totem pole of priorities.
The truth is, art is powerful, it’s transformative, it expresses thoughts, ideas, and feelings that may be beyond someone’s immediate power to understand, and gives them perspectives & insights that can bring change in their life. I’ve also seen art be taken for granted, especially in the world we live in where music in particular is consumed as readily as air - and often consumed without much thought of the affect it can have on us.
This is where my journey as a creator takes a similar turn, but told from the other side its a tale of losing connection with the ‘why’ and the impact of my art through the data-fication of my craft. To illustrate the point, one of the first songs I ever had cut just passed 500 million streams on Spotify, a really big achievement.
The crazy thing is, though, that nothing about this tells me about someone’s journey with the song - are they listening with intention? Is it simply background music on a big playlist? Did someone have a life-changing moment to this, find their purpose to this, find healing with this? If my goal is to make an impact in someone’s life, a simple number can’t communicate that - no amount of millions or billions of streams could. But sometimes I’m blessed to have someone reach out directly about the impact a song has had on them, and then I’m reminded of why I write - I received the following as a DM.
The heart and courage that takes to share this with a stranger is profound - and I cannot put into words the feelings that come over me when I read this message. The madness of a career in art, all the doubts, fears, and anxieties, it all melts away with this message. This is the reason I do what I do; all the rest is a bonus. If you’re a creator worried about what sort of impact you’re having, or the legacy you’re leaving, know that there are people out there just like this whose lives are being changed for the better because of what you do.