Yes and no. I sometimes hold back because there are A LOT of opinions and I don’t always feel like the most educated one in the room, but also because I write through my own perspective to hopefully share a more universal one.
Jun 3, 2022·edited Jun 3, 2022Liked by Meta Wagner
Meta
I don’t believe one should walk the line on expressing their beliefs in whatever medium they deliver it. Not to say one should push polemics. I must agree with Lorelei here that we should all practice walking in another’s shoes with sensitivity, but more so I’m solidly with Cali here that “ a writer is to have the courage to write.”
It is axiomatic that art influences thought— be that positive or negative. To address the negative, where I’d rather not dwell at present: slasher movies, violent video games, etc. have inured our youth to cold violence. Why are we surprised when a youngster buys a full-on assault weapon—with which they have daily familiarity through violent games— then march into a school of innocents?
More constructively, if we expose our children to the arts, particularly writing we have an opportunity to advance humanity ( I think we have, not a burden, but a certain noblesse oblige as writers to inform and shape thinking as to the human condition, the struggles we all face on different levels).
We should not squander these opportunities to add our voice by being tentative. Not to say we can’t employ creativity( read subtlety) in conveying our sentiments without lecturing— as I seem to have done here…. Apologies.
Great topic, Meta. You really are clever at tapping into our thoughts here.
Jun 3, 2022·edited Jun 3, 2022Liked by Meta Wagner
I have found that the issues that are most pressing in my personal life are going to bleed through whether I want them to or not. Manipulation, positive communication skills, and how to forgive. My decision is to think about what message I'd like to get across and be an active participant in that. One might think of those issues as small potatoes compared to some of the other stuff going on. In my opinion, though, major societal violence stems from too many individuals not knowing how to approach other humans in a nonviolent way. If being able to see the good in others were a more widespread skill, we'd see a reduction in big problems.
I don't tend to write about world events or issues. But my encouragement to writers might mean that someone else finds their voice on these topics. My fiction is thoroughly escapist. I think there is definitely a place for that. I launched my novel in the first lockdown of the pandemic and many of the reviews said is was just the light relief that they needed. There is a place for everything. The main thing as a writer is to have tbe courage to write. Imagine how the world could be a better place if more people operated from a place of courage and truth.
Yes and no. I sometimes hold back because there are A LOT of opinions and I don’t always feel like the most educated one in the room, but also because I write through my own perspective to hopefully share a more universal one.
Meta
I don’t believe one should walk the line on expressing their beliefs in whatever medium they deliver it. Not to say one should push polemics. I must agree with Lorelei here that we should all practice walking in another’s shoes with sensitivity, but more so I’m solidly with Cali here that “ a writer is to have the courage to write.”
It is axiomatic that art influences thought— be that positive or negative. To address the negative, where I’d rather not dwell at present: slasher movies, violent video games, etc. have inured our youth to cold violence. Why are we surprised when a youngster buys a full-on assault weapon—with which they have daily familiarity through violent games— then march into a school of innocents?
More constructively, if we expose our children to the arts, particularly writing we have an opportunity to advance humanity ( I think we have, not a burden, but a certain noblesse oblige as writers to inform and shape thinking as to the human condition, the struggles we all face on different levels).
We should not squander these opportunities to add our voice by being tentative. Not to say we can’t employ creativity( read subtlety) in conveying our sentiments without lecturing— as I seem to have done here…. Apologies.
Great topic, Meta. You really are clever at tapping into our thoughts here.
I have found that the issues that are most pressing in my personal life are going to bleed through whether I want them to or not. Manipulation, positive communication skills, and how to forgive. My decision is to think about what message I'd like to get across and be an active participant in that. One might think of those issues as small potatoes compared to some of the other stuff going on. In my opinion, though, major societal violence stems from too many individuals not knowing how to approach other humans in a nonviolent way. If being able to see the good in others were a more widespread skill, we'd see a reduction in big problems.
I don't tend to write about world events or issues. But my encouragement to writers might mean that someone else finds their voice on these topics. My fiction is thoroughly escapist. I think there is definitely a place for that. I launched my novel in the first lockdown of the pandemic and many of the reviews said is was just the light relief that they needed. There is a place for everything. The main thing as a writer is to have tbe courage to write. Imagine how the world could be a better place if more people operated from a place of courage and truth.