Of
paperclips , pins and others... by Azhar Latif
For us writers who do or don't believe in writer's block and
still make it an excuse for not applying ourselves to be productive - we all
deserve to starve.
Yes starve, we must, because an honest empty belly is
the first step towards originality. It is an incentive born out of necessity
which is
always rewarded by inventions we all see in the world around
us.
Literature great or small, art of all kinds was created by the
impoverished, the destitute, the madmen All they had to show for was their Art.
Their only Art. That was all they lived for!
There is no money in Art. And it is not Art that makes
money. It is the craft of the engraver who toils days and nights to engrave
Monarch's
head on the face of the coin. The coin is minted to make more
coins. By then Art is dead and money is born. Thieves can then earn it by
thieving. Politicians can make it by borrowing, cheating or
numerous other means.
Art, Architecture and Literature are value -free, hence
noble when conceived. It connects us from the temporal to the eternal. It is
like a
"Mobius Strip" - a piece of strip of paper turned
into a ring, first putting a loop of single twist in to it. What we have now a
piece of paper
with only one surface. A pure artifact conceived by a
Mathematician, an object of fascination for all.
Write TRUTH on one side and an UNTRUTH on the other
side. Glue two ends with a single twist as explained. Request an Ant to make a
journey in the "Mobius Strip" where Truth and
Untruth reside as neighbours.
We wordsmith are also Ants exploring, waiting at our nest for
another Ant to bring us news. We meet like Ants greeting each other with our
feeble antennae hoping to discover more of Truths, Untruths.
It is an endless, may be futile activity but compulsive as our words flow like
Ants marching towards the unknown realms - of truth, of
beauty, of love, of warmth, of cold. All have endless twists and hues of
meanings in
the Isles of the unexplored continents. We tread with fear
with hope as our safety net.
Making, inventing or thinking about things --- processes
necessary for creativity are
hard to harness.
Take a look at a paperclip. A simple paperclip is an
object so friendly to use. It is popular with procrastinator, Willie, who
started his work
hoping to finish in one go.
This got interrupted by a moan, a luscious inviting
sigh:
"Oh no, A Ahh, darling I suspected you had a
mistress tucked away somewhere." Voice of wife piercing as an ice pick on
his frozen
storylines. That freezes him instantly.
"Now I know, your short stories are your mistresses
I have to live with for the rest of my life, Oh hell Willie come on, hurry
up." This is a
"Coitus Interrupts" of a kind all artist dread.
Marriages are not popular with true artists. On the other hand, Mistresses have
been and will
be greatest patrons of Artists and Arts besides Kings and
Queens.
Willie gathers scattered papers and finds a paperclip to
file his short labour of love and heads for the bedroom.
"Oh Willie darling, what kept you !". The wife
places the embraced pillow at its proper place, ensnaring Willie with lusty
shine in her eyes.
A paperclip helps for the time being as a road sign to remind
Willie that it was not Writer's Block---- a mating call that was to blame after
all.
Talking of paperclips, they are illusive objects to get
one's hand on one. But when you have one , you have one too many, chained as a
band of criminals offering their common alibis. They stick
together. So do Writers of all persuasions complaining of Writer's Block. Why
they do it ? I know why. Because they are all big bellies
never heard of hunger or experienced starvation.
As for user-friendly paper clips, arms in arms as
comrades - it puzzles and amuses me. How they do it? Why they do it?.They do it
together anyway. They do not have any colour bar. It is a
pleasure to see the red , the green or even brown chained with their gleaming
silver mates. It must be love. What else?
What do you say Willie ? There must be a lesson for us
all Blockheads... I mean Writers with a Block...
Copyright Azhar Latif 2006.
Read other work from members of Shepherds Bush Writers Group.
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