ManicWorld Magazine

– Do you think that pain and suffering is necessary to create good art or do you believe that people can be good artists without trauma? Do you believe that you would be a better artist without your painful experiences?

I do not believe that experiencing pain and suffering is necessary to create good art. Art can be used as a tool to express the complete spectrum of the human condition–not just pain and suffering.

I think that people can be good artists without experiencing trauma–if they remain dedicated to their artistic practice and continue to experiment with new ideas. There are many examples of good artworks which appear to have been created as a response to positive experiences (e.g. interactions with strangers) and positive emotions (e.g. joy).

I do not think that I would be a better artist without my painful experiences. However, I would be a different kind of artist and most of my existing artworks would cease to exist. My painful experiences have led to the creation of poems, drawings, photographs, and musical compositions. I believe that I would not have experimented with a diverse range of art mediums and genres, or be an artist at all, had it not been for my pain and suffering.

– Can you describe, as much as you can, what it is like in your mind and your workspace when you are working on a new piece?

When I am working on a new piece of art, the inner workings of my mind and my external visible workspace change, depending on the medium(s) that I am working in, the location that I am in when I feel inspired, and my approach to creating in the moment.

My mind is usually chaotic, with a flood of ideas or thoughts rapidly arriving and departing. I often have thoughts such as “Should I just keep improvising, or should I use tried and tested theoretical concepts or techniques?”; “I need to document or record this idea in some way in case I forget it”; and “What is the story being told here? Or what am I trying to say?”. When I am channelling a new idea, I feel that I cannot move on until I record it in some way. I cannot be in the present moment for other areas in my life until I have gone through this process. When I have the opportunity to explore a new idea further, I occasionally get into the flow state. When I am in the flow state, the world around me practically ceases to exist, as I am immersed in the creative process and tuned in to the universe. I think that this experience is akin to being in an altered state of consciousness.

My workspace is usually my home studio. I often sit at the desk in my studio and develop an idea on my laptop. Sometimes, I sit on the bed in my bedroom with a musical instrument and experiment with different chords or riffs. Outside of home, my workspace is usually a café or in the field (e.g. urban environments with unique architecture or landmarks). When I am working on visual art, prose, or poetry, I usually listen to instrumental albums or playlists–this helps me to stay focused and alert. In my workspace, there may be notebooks or sketchbooks, pens or pencils, a laptop, musical instruments, a tablet, and a phone. I often use the Voice Memos application on my phone or tablet for recording musical ideas; I also use the Notes application for writing lyrics, poems, and jokes. My workspace can appear to be organised and tidy or cluttered and messy–it depends on the day and the idea that I am working on.

– Would you say that there are any creatives in the past or present whose work echoes the same emotions and messages as yours and why?

Yes. There are many creatives in the past or present whose work echoes the same emotions and messages as my work. Some of these creatives include Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason, musicians from the band Pink Floyd; Alex Grey, a visual artist known for his spiritual and psychedelic artworks; Chester Bennington, lead vocalist of the band Linkin Park (1999–2017); and Misan Harriman, a protest photographer known for his powerful black-and-white photographs and his solo exhibition titled The Purpose of Light. My subjective interpretations of the works made by these creatives can be found below.

Pink Floyd’s music and lyrics have messages of being grateful for life and to “Look around, choose your own ground”; living life on your own terms; not conforming to social norms and how society tells us how we should think, feel, and act; thinking for yourself and making your own decisions; the senselessness of war; the subject of death. 

Alex Grey’s visual art suggests that other dimensions or states of being exist and that not everything is as it seems. His work is like a map of consciousness, with each artwork revealing knowledge and insights gained from altered states of consciousness. His visual art invites a discussion about spirituality, consciousness, and what we perceive to be reality.

Chester Bennington’s lyrics and vocal performances encompass the struggles of depression, self-doubt, internal conflict, anguish, and discomfort; feelings of isolation and belonging (e.g. “I want to find something I’ve wanted all along / Somewhere I belong”); overcoming addiction and “breaking the habit”.

Misan Harriman’s photography highlights the importance of unity and togetherness; resisting oppression; standing up for the rights of other people–even if you are not directly affected by the root cause of their suffering. His work suggests that there are still many empathetic people in the world and that there is still hope for the future.

Together, the works created by these creatives embody emotions and messages such as authenticity and nonconformity; pain and suffering; freedom and oppression; gratitude and mindfulness–emotions and messages which can be found within my own creative work.