A Price to Pay
Is not madness
a mere departure of expected
where neurosis is merely abnormal,
inhibition abandonment of convention?
When does creative, curious, incautious
cross the path of sacred and spiritual,
become unusual and extreme,
cross the line of genius to insane?
When do accolades end,
derision begin;
what price does vision claim?
by Margaret Bednar, April 23, 2018
8 artists who suffered mental illness
10 female artists who were institutionalized
10 poets who were completely mad
This is linked with "Imaginary Garden with Real Toads - Imagined by Kerry - An Antic Disposition"
also linked with NaPoWriMo 2018 (30 poems in 30 days). I have been successful writing a poem a day so far - except for yesterday where I partially completed one and have yet to edit it. So two will be posted today. It isn't easy!
The above video is of the artwork of a French artist Seraphine. She was admitted into an asylum after WWII. Her story if you google it is fascinating and there is a movie about her as well.
8 comments:
Margaret, I so enjoyed reading the articles you linked to this post. Indeed, madness may unleash the creative parts of the brain in most unusual ways.. and we apply the term 'normal' without ever asking who set the standard.
Well done Margaret. I like the cut of this poem's jib abd I'll return to red the articles which sound fascinating.
This is a very gorgeously insightful poem, Margaret. I like "When do the accolades end, derision begin".. something to think about.
Exactly. I have often thought this about my son, who is a creative genius, but with a mental illness diagnosis. He seems tuned to a frequency higher than the rest of us can hear and has often spoken profound truths.
Yes, it may well be a matter of points along a continuum rather than an either/or thing.
I find this so very real.. I wonder if normal is just coping with norm, rather than breaking, inventing, creating... we need that madness to justify norms I think.
Accepting might be better than the apprehension. I'll check your references, thank you.
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Sometimes I wonder at my own madness. We creatives see what is there and then try and run it through what isn't. I so enjoyed the links you posted.
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