C.R.A.P. June 1, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Art & Photography, Humor, People, Poetry, Word Play.trackback
Wikipedia ~ Avant-Garde (in Public Domain)
Rules of syntax, grammar, spelling, and punctuation are guidelines for the weak.
Just write.
Be rule-less and ruthless. Don’t let them put you into a box or on a pedestal.
Feel free!
Creativity, with a capital “C,” knows no boundaries. Neither do we.
Deal with it.
Rules, with a capital “R,” can be ignored, unless you’re clueless.
You do have a clue, don’t you?
When we throw chocolate syrup, pico de gallo, and guacamole on sheets, it’s Art, with a capital “A.”
Clothesline optional.
When we toss disjointed words and phrases into the wind, it’s Poetry, with a capital “P.”
Watch!
Free verse. No verse. Converse. Universe.
Easy peas-y, chocolate pudding pop, pie.
Don’t believe me? . . . ask Popeye.
Wikipedia ~ Hey Diddle Diddle (in Public Domain)
We are the avant-garde. The front runners. Poets on patrol.
Haven’t you heard about the man who walked the crooked mile?
We don’t need no stinking rules to keep us in line, dotting each “i” and crossing each “t.”
We color outside the lines!
We celebrate our Creative Rule-less Art and Poetry . . . and if “they” weren’t so jealous, they would embrace our C.R.A.P. too!
Damn the critics . . . full steam ahead.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Wikipedia ~ Avant-Garde (in Public Domain)
Have you ever looked at an avant-garde creation and wondered why The Emperor’s New Clothes popped into your head?
Did its (obvious-to-you) nakedness become the Elephant in the Room as others murmured in mesmerized fascination (inspired, perhaps, by drug-induced hallucinations and delusions of their own yet-to-be discovered grandeur)?
Or did you spill the beans and upset the processional pomp and circumstance by blurting out what you saw, like that innocent child on the street?
“Look, mommy. The Emperor’s naked!”
If we don’t speak up, mediocrity may devolve into “Idiocracy.”
Related post: We’re Getting More Stupider
Comments
Sorry comments are closed for this entry
Spirit Lights The Way 
Converse – my favourite shoes. What an inspiring free write.
There is a fine line between creativity and anarchy . . . if we toss out “all the rules,” we may lose our ability to communicate with one another, with “Idiocracy” as the result.
I love this! Quirky but true.
We need avant-garde artists to push boundaries (so we don’t end up in stagnant quo), but objects don’t become Art and words don’t become Poetry just b/c a sole soul attaches that label to it.
The most ridiculous example I’ve seen is a painting called, “Blue.” It looks like someone cut a swath out of a living room wall and framed it. No gradations. No variations. No imperfections. No texture. Nothing but blue paint uniformly applied to a canvas.
We saw it hanging in the Ringling Museum of Art. And wondered, “Why?”
It was so NAKED it had turned BLUE. 😛
Nancy, you give me hope!
Yay! Hope keeps us moving forward (even when we are tempted to collapse into a steaming heap of desperation and despair).
I need to just write AND just snap!
We can get so caught up in what “they” think about our efforts that we become paralyzed, our hands virtually tied to our sides.
It’s tough to keep writing through critiques, but I do it. 🙂
It’s a fine line. We don’t want “critics” to derail us . . . but if we are trying to communicate with our peers, we don’t want to end up with an undecipherable Voynich Manuscript in our hands:
http://kateshrewsday.com/2013/05/31/the-uncrackable-code-of-polish-revolutionaries-vatican-libraries-and-dan-brown/
Kate’s post and attendant links made me wonder whether the manuscript was mere gibberish, with no meaning at all.
Or, perhaps, as Kate surmised, it was written by aliens. 😯
Had the misfortune of watching a bit of Idiocracy the movie, at least I think that’s the title, and it really does live up to its name – sheer unadulterated stupidity. It makes a terrific point, we really should encourage smart people to have hoards of smart kids.
While crass, the superficial stupidity in “Idiocracy” highlights the satirical statement lurking just below the surface:
We are apt to devolve into dumb animals if we don’t wise up.
A new mental disorder known as “Delusions of Talent?”
We can call it TDD (Talent Deficit Disorder) for short. 😛
I am more likely to pass a remark on the lines of, ‘That stupid idiot of an Emperor is totally starkers and looks utterly revolting!’
People have been caught out with praising ‘art’ created by a rampaging baboon, but when told the source they simply claim it was an inspired rampage.
Excellent example, Col! Once it’s proven that their praise was misplaced, they are loathe to admit it . . . for fear of appearing the baboon.
A fine line indeed . . .
Great post, Nancy!
Thanks, Barb. I had FUN with this one. We want to encourage innovation, not complete and utter nonsense. 😉
1. Thank you! I’m always a little intimidated with all the rules out there and that too just for writing!
2. Oo that trailer was…weird! The first video (the one in your post) actually tells us that just because a person is intelligent doesn’t make them mature or wise 😉
“Idiocracy” is filled with all manner of stupidity . . . designed to make viewers consider whether we’re evolving or devolving.
[…] posts: C.R.A.P. * We’re Getting More […]
This is great, Nancy! Maybe if we all band together to assert ourselves in a move towards critical independence we can actually make a difference. I refer to the emperor with no clothes at least once a week! LOL! But sometimes I feel a little alone…I’d love to be part of a movement. 🙂
When we become our own standard bearer, we shift from looking “out there” for applause, accolades, and approval to an internal search for meaning through passion and purpose.
We are unwilling to settle for mediocrity when we know we can delve a bit deeper or apply a bit more polish . . . even if no one but ourselves will see and appreciate our efforts.
In contrast, those using an external frame of reference use the “Applause Meter” as a measure of their success . . . even if they know their efforts are C.R.A.P.
I think “Emperor’s New Clothes” when I hear about a lot of things that are the rage. Clothing, movies, books, etc. I’ve noticed that I often enjoy movies that critics pan…and am bored by the ones they adore. Maybe I’m just not sophisticated enough to appreciate fine art 🙂 (Yes, that’s probably it!)
Yes! It’s not just art and poetry . . . it’s TV shows, books, movies, clothing, and the latest and greatest “App for That.”
Often there is Much Ado About Nothing.
Good I feel much better about what I wrote on my blog not to long ago. No ryhme or reason just trying to get the esscence of a dream down before I forgot it. I agree with jannatries also.
Sometimes I write posts for just that reason . . . to trap stray thoughts before they get away.