Art that Defines
Original Publication 23/09/20
What are our lives defined by? Is it by what we have achieved? Or are we defined by what drives us? Truth be told, I’ve often sided with the latter.
Film, music and the written word are essentially the pillars of my being as a creatively minded person. They occupy my musings and are rooted deep in my ambitions. I want to write stories that captivate and I want to write scripts that harbour the same quality. Music will always stir my creative tendencies. My influence comes from those works of art that inspire and absorb me.
In that vein, I wish now to convey to you, curious reader, those works that I place above all else. These works captured my intrigue and imagination to a degree that seems almost unfathomable. I hope that you as well, discover influences akin to that.
The Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont 1994)
Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures
By no means an unknown entity, this film garnered its esteemed reputation largely through word of mouth. My brother and I were introduced to this cinematic great by our father, and it’s since become a shared treasure in our family.
What makes this film so magical is that it’s one of pure and majestic storytelling. Every aspect, both in narrative and in style, works hand in hand to portray a story that elicits profound emotion after profound emotion. The famous line, "Andy Dufresne, who crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side" acts as a fitting metaphor for what we go through as a viewer.
This is a feature that truly defined for me the power of on-screen storytelling, and, furthermore, installed in me a yearning to express that passion in my own work.
Grace (Jeff Buckley 1994)
Photo courtesy of Columbia Records
Another family favourite, Jeff Buckley’s untimely death in 1997 still brings great sadness to me for the simple fact that I, and so many other fans, will never experience his presence in a live concert. But it speaks to the magnitude of his music that a man who only released one full album left such an impact on the world around him.
His eclectic and hauntingly beautiful vocals are matched in earnest by his delicately sincere lyrics. His music touched my soul and stirred my thoughts. The power of music is indisputable, and it's albums such as this that remind us of its gifts.
Such an impact merits recognition, and the honourable thing to do is share it with all who are willing to listen. His music must live on.
The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho 1988)
Photo courtesy of Goodreads
Paulo Coelho’s beloved novel reads like a wondrous dream. The book excels and excites us in teaching that “Dreams are meant to be followed. Life is meant to be lived.”
The basis of the story revolves around the theme that when people follow their destinies, the whole universe conspires to make that possible. Its enriching messages about love and “the soul of the world” are universally relatable, installing hope in times when cynicism is seemingly unavoidable.
For such a relatively small book, the impression it leaves is nothing short of astounding. Like so many others, its pages have often offered solace when I’ve felt doubts about my own journey, and it's never far away until I begin to see the good omens again, and things seem a whole lot brighter.