[Seil]

Well, first, let me get the "God forbid anyone watches movies for the entertainment value!" sentence out of the way.

Okay, I put it in a box under my bed. I could pull it out again (and I probably will) but first I want to ask a question about movies. Well, movies and books and games and art. I don't know everyone on Earth yet, so I can't speak for anyone - least of all myself. But I think that some people partake in the arts as a form of escape. Is it because of family issues, or traumatic situations, or because we're in need of a guiding figure? Or do we like to project ourselves as the hero? I remember watching John Cleese talk about James Bond, that he and his friends would come out of the cinema "walking a little straighter, talking a little more suave."

Is that more a case of escapism or want? I was watching the trailer for Blue Valentine, what where Ryan Gosling was silly with a lady friend, and I thought that was something I wanted to do, someone I wanted to be. God forbid I watch the trailer for the entertainment value. (See? Took it out of its box.)

People write or draw or direct or sing because they have a story to tell, they have an idea that they want to share. Why do we do that? What compels us to create, and then submit? Do we believe our idea to be worth something? Is it a need for acceptance and praise? I realize that this is all very disjointed and rambly - but that's what I do. I think it boils down to this:

For some reason, we're creative, and focus the energy, the ideas we have into art, music, poetry or film or whatever. Why do we feel, or did we first feel the need to share it? Why are the works interpreted differently be different people? Why can something as simple as watching another man die, a woman smile, a chord or riff or couplet cause so much emotion in a person? Could we classify our art as a part of the spirit?

EDIT I've brought this up before, I think.