Being True to Yourself

Writing plays or screenplays can be a tricky business. No matter how hard you try or don’t try, someone, someplace, somehow is going to be offended. In fact, the same goes for pretty much any kind of art when presented to the public. At its core, this piece of your heart is the vision, feelings, attitudes, and philosophy of the creative artist who gives birth to it. And one hundred percent of the time, there is someone who doesn’t like it.

Unless an artist creates their work only for themselves and never lets it see the light of other people’s eyes, that exposure will open it up to differing opinions, reactions, and dispositions. In the real world, if that work of art is for sale or distribution, then the artist must remember they are now operating in a totally different environment from their own.

In our capitalistic society, creativity often takes a backseat to commerce. At its core, art is a business, if say, you want your plays or movie scripts accepted. Potential buyers have their own objectives, standards, financial goals, etc. to consider. Then there is the question of personal tastes and what is currently acceptable / rejectable or out of ‘flavor’ with the buying public.

The flip side of creating a piece of art that meets ‘the standards of acceptability’ is for the artist to first be true to themselves. Anytime a piece of art is exposed to the public, its creator must face the mirror of self-scrutiny. Therein lies the challenge. To what degree must an artist face changing one’s own feelings, code of conduct, personal beliefs, etc. in order to get accepted, purchased, or respected by the public or buyers you are after.

I’ve faced that question on a number of my written babies. Audiences loved my first couple of plays. Box office sales and a crowded auditorium attested to the acceptance of my storyline. Still, behind the scenes, there was some crumbling because those first two plays had references in them to ‘Denver Brownies’ and ‘grass.’ I was told afterwards that some cast members objected to my storyline on personal grounds. Another play dealt with old age and coming of death. A few shadow voices were concerned that older audience members might see themselves in such roles. Others didn’t like some of my dialogue had references to God and the here-after.

A couple of my produced plays in California dealt with relationships among polyamorous throuples and single older gay men. It was subject matter that worked for a California audience but (I’m assuming here) not the fodder for your average midwestern audience.

One of my first novels was seen as pornographic by a former collaborator because it referenced ‘frolicking on the grass’ for carnal pleasure, realistic battle scenes, and the F-bomb dropped frequently throughout.

Another novel of mine ‘Playground for the Devil’ was questioned because of the age of one of my sexual targets in the opening paragraph. It only got more interesting as the storyline progressed.

Close advisors loved my comic strip idea; ‘Sweetpea and the Gang.’ But there was a unanimous opinion that it was too white when I first created the cartoon characters. I agreed but only because adding more diverse characters would add to the depth and breadth of my potential storylines. Following a PC trend wasn’t part of that decision, not even close.

Among some in the artist’s community, there is a feeling that true illustrations are hand-drawn and not computer-generated. ‘Waleed, the Skinny Hippo’ was computer generated art and thus not considered as ‘honest’ art coming from a real illustrator. Charles Schultz would probably agree. Yet based on reactions I’ve seen from the children who have read Waleed, it makes absolutely no difference at all to them.

All of which is to say, at what point does an artist say to him or herself: Sorry but that’s the way I see it, I write it or I feel about it. At what point is it okay to compromise and still be true to one self. I’ve already decided that I have to follow my gut and be true to my inner compass. I have no problem making adjustments or compromises as long as I can still sleep soundly at night and love what I’ve created. Several projects in the near future should test this assumption once again.

A new play of mine deals with the misfits, outcasts and people living off the grid. It’s an unwashed look at folks you would cross the street to avoid and a build-in distain for those who can’t help themselves. Hopefully, audiences will be empathic to their plight.

A new movie script in development, tentatively entitled: ‘Where or When,’ deals with a mutual attraction between a divorcee and the proverbial rich man’s son. There is simmering sexual tension, conflicting class status, a jealous boyfriend, an abusive ex-husband, and a scheming but well-intentioned sister. Sounds perfect for the Hallmark Channel.

We’ll have to see how it turns out.