Soyinka on Becoming a Writer
In an interview, Nobel Prize-winning playwright Wole Soyinka says:, in response to a question about how to prepare oneself to be a writer:
"Well, everything requires some craft. And I believe that the best learning process of any kind of craft is just to look at the work of others. It doesn't mean you're going to be influenced by them. I believe that there is a kind of osmotic process whereby one intuitively absorbs the various strands that went into the making of a play, a poem, etc. In some cases more craft is required. If you're going to stage a play you're going to involve other human beings who are going to be moved about in space and their spatial relations must respond to the textual pronouncements of the various characters. So there is a bit more craft involved in theater, in the theatrical arts, and let us say even in certain forms of poetry. It all differs. The important thing is just to consume as much as possible and then forget everything you every consumed, because in the process of consuming you have already begun to evolve your own distinctive creative pattern, even without your knowing it. But the ultimate lesson is just sit down and write. That's all."
"Well, everything requires some craft. And I believe that the best learning process of any kind of craft is just to look at the work of others. It doesn't mean you're going to be influenced by them. I believe that there is a kind of osmotic process whereby one intuitively absorbs the various strands that went into the making of a play, a poem, etc. In some cases more craft is required. If you're going to stage a play you're going to involve other human beings who are going to be moved about in space and their spatial relations must respond to the textual pronouncements of the various characters. So there is a bit more craft involved in theater, in the theatrical arts, and let us say even in certain forms of poetry. It all differs. The important thing is just to consume as much as possible and then forget everything you every consumed, because in the process of consuming you have already begun to evolve your own distinctive creative pattern, even without your knowing it. But the ultimate lesson is just sit down and write. That's all."
Comments
Like just sitting down and writing. Being present and not "thinking" too much. And doing all that sort of dramaturgy as your quote mentions so your creativity can be unique when it does flow.
And yes .... you work , work , work, read , read , read but in order for creativity to really unleash, all must be let go.
A delicate balance.
I couldn't agree more. I think I said something similar a while back. The artist consumes everything possible, then internalizes it and transforms it and outputs their product, whatever that is. But doing it is what makes it. The consumption part is reasearch and is necessary, but in no way sufficient for the creation of art.
You train so you can forget the training. Much of my best work largely ignores my formal training. But when I find myself against a wall or working on a production I have no connection with, those tricks sure come in handy to make a good product.