On Creative Persistence
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- Опубликовано: 31 мар 2024
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My name is Jay Swanson - I'm an American writer living in Paris on an artist visa. Paris (yes the one in France) has been my home for years now and I have every intention of staying here for as long as they'll have me. I write science-fiction and fantasy, vlogged daily for 3+ years, and love pizza a little too much. Now I make videos about visiting Paris, traveling in Europe, and try to share what I've learned along the way. I hope you enjoyed what you found.
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There were so many points where you spoke the exact words that have been in my own head! Thank you. The other weird thing that can happen is you do the diligent work for 20 years and manage to reach what you always viewed as the pinacle, and after about five minutes you start to look around and notice the cracks and weeds and think… ok now what? Nobody warns you that “Happily ever after” is actually a constantly moving goalpost. Anyway… thank you for being so honest, for continuing to show up for yourself every day. This internet stranger really appreciates you.
Being "of a certain age," I can easily leave the electronics behind, reduce my screen time and simply go out into the world. That's one bright side of technological semi-literacy, another is that creativity can follow traditional pathways that have been overshadowed by more novel, more intrusive ones. Creativity is quintessentially human, and engaging in it doesn't require a great gift or the ability to produce great work. For most of us, the journey is the meaning. Self-reflection, self-criticism and improvement are some of the perks. Another is to feel and believe that you have created something beautiful, that might speak to others.
I think I remember you saying that you missed working with your hands, doing woodwork and such. Craft always seems to be an element of art. The process of turning a bowl or vase on a lathe relates to writing a good piece of work. Metaphorically, you're "removing everything that doesn't look like a vase," and you're always gaining insight into your materials. Cheers!
Love this. I need to take some comfort in the slower path
Happy to say I have a copy of Sea of the Unknown. Everyone is on their own Sea of the Unknown and I liked the title and I liked the book.
I appreciate your "showing up." You (and coffee) are a good start to my day.
Happy they can be! Thanks for watching =D
As an illustrator, I have similar fears of the future and struggles. I've mostly just been taking a step back, lessening my grip on the dream, and just learning to enjoy making work for myself again (sketchbook works). Love your Sunday coffee videos.
Thank you! And yeah, I can imagine that the threat feels very real for you right now. I'm trying to step back and into the joy of creating as well. I think that it might end up being a net benefit for us both.
The best thing about you is that you love to write the truth is folks are tried of politics' and hearing the world going to end. People need people like you who love to write novels. I say write your books create art on the pages of your novel. People will read your books and they will look forward to the next book. Be the person who loves to write and we will be the person who loves to read. Merci
🥂🥂
I was going to ask why you don’t “re release “ your books but you answered that question for me. I think there will always be a place for interesting informative and intelligent creators like yourself! The platform may change over time but the validity won’t diminish.
Creativity is nothing without grit. You've got plenty of both!
I'm late catching up on your vids but this hits HARD. my own journey mirrors your own, except with art. I'm an illustrator (fantasy/sci fi character designs primarily) and paying the bills with my art really really... Killed it for me. Ever since I did that a few years ago (and burned out with a crash), art is different for me. Worse. It totally soured it for me, and that is a horrendous feeling when it was something that was a big part of my being at one time. I do draw every now and then but I feel like I need to hit a certain "phase" in my life to really be able to go back to it with clear eyes. I absolutely relate to you on this one.
My public library has some of your fiction on its shelves. I know because I looked on its online catalog for your non-fiction book which it does not have, but I noticed the others. I'm in Bloomington, Indiana, if you wondered.
Go Bloomington!
Always said the difference between an aspiring author and a published author is just persistence. I love your fiction, but what truly makes me believe you'll be successful as a writer (and film maker?) is your ability to keep working at it, to keep getting better, and to consistently find ways to replenish your creative energy.
We just have to hope that original human creativity will continue to be valued more highly than AI content (or at least, that in the future they've legislated decent royalties for when AI's steal your work).
The stealing of the work is bound to be a big issue. Can't wait to tackle some books with you either way, even if it's just for the joy of creating
Keep plugging at that book man.
Love this sharing of your creative journey!
🙏 Thanks!
Please make a video sharing your favorite RUclips finds (genres, channels, etc.) if you have the time someday!
That could be fun. I had some ideas for this in the past, I'll have to revisit them
I second this 😌🙌🏽
I just checked out of curiosity: the 2 Nanten books and Steps of Krakador are available to purchase on Amazon and all 3 are available on Audible. Couriers Off Grid is also available on Amazon though not on Audible. The all have decent to very good reviews on Good Reads.....so just FYI. Also, I've changed that expresson at least for myself: The Grass Is Greener Where You Water It.
Ah the audio books! And here I thought those had been removed. I'll have to get to that haha, thanks for checking. We had so much fun making them - I look forward to bringing them back to life. And I agree - just gotta spend that water wisely =D
😊 Again, words I needed to hear. Thank you, Jay.
My pleasure! Glad they resonated
You are so right about the race to the bottom and how does anybody even win at that! You are so insightful and inspiring! I started watching you a few years ago because you lived in Paris, but now really enjoy the depth of your vlogs and how they make me think! The danger of AI is overwhelming!
I'm really glad that you stuck with me! Thank you =)
That's a lot of published books! Glad to see you pursuing the creative arts in general. Thanks for sharing everyday
My pleasure!
Thank you, as always, for your affirming words
Thanks for listening =)
Thanks, Jay! This is the encouragement I needed to hear. I'm working on a draft of my book and admire the persistence that led you to create and be able to showcase a stack of books you wrote. AI may be the "thing" of the future, but it can never replace human ingenuity and creativity.
If nothing else, I'll gain a lot of satisfaction from the process of creating on my own =D
Into the Nanten already has a very daily vlog format. You should read an entry a day like a serial. I'd subscribe.
It'll be fun to play with in the future for sure
Love your videos Jay, something i look forward to every day!
Thank you!
Beautiful, and perfectly said…all of it! Knowing the future, not only takes the fun out of the adventure; more importantly, it takes the adventure out of the fun, LOL! Yes…keep doing what your heart calls you to do! One day, I feel certain, I will say, “Yes, we all know, now, that Jay Swanson is akin to Tolkien and C.S. Lewis…but there were many of us who saw his genius way back when!” (BTW…Harry Potter was a favorite of mine, but I noticed a slight decline in its call to me, as Rowling began to be under deadline pressure, and saleability constraints.)
I needed to hear this today, thank you 🤍
My pleasure =)
1:32 Wow it’s always nice to know a published author.
Yes Man!!
Exactly what you're saying about how everything's changed: ruclips.net/video/5zUndMfMInc/видео.html
🙏
Personally I love this sort of content 😊
Thanks =)
preach Jay
🥂
Djuna Barnes, Ernest Hemingway, John Dos Passos, F. Scott Fitzgerald...
I believe you’ll make it all happen 😊
Thanks!
Just found your books on half-price books
Nice. There were a few on ebay for a while going for exorbitant rates haha
I’m a pretty big reader. I read about 10-15 books per month. Mostly science fiction and some fantasy. I would totally read your books. Really enjoyed your nonfiction one.
I also have a desire to write, but it’s so hard. Especially considering that English is not my native language. And I have no interest in writing in my mother tongue either.
Just a single datapoint: Personally, I find your autobiographical reflections vastly more useful and meaningful to me than sci-fi/fantasy ever could be. For me and probably for most of your audience, it's NOT just, "Hey, the RUclips algorithm brought in another distracted pair of eyeballs looking to waste a few minutes." To me, there's more meaningful, edifying art in watching a few minutes of your authentic self-reflections than watching some sci-fi series on Netflix. So there's actually a very wide disconnect between the type of art you're creating in your videos and the type of art you create in sci-fi/fantasy. I urge you to ruthlessly ask yourself: Why writing? Why sci-fi fantasy? Why RUclips? Why creation in the first place? I imagine it's something like, "Connection through expression". Maybe read some more novels addressing the spiritual crisis of post-modernity? I'd argue you have quite a bit of expertise in the area.
Thanks! I think there's a bridge there for sure. I won't be abandoning RUclips or the pursuit of communicating through my lived experience anytime soon, if ever, so don't worry about that =D And hopefully I do a good enough job with the fantasy side that it's worth a second thought when the time comes.
Good afternoon 🍷 my understanding is writing is a massively difficult business. Individually useful, but as a career, hard. Actually having physical copies of your stories is an achievement in itself. PS long live physical media 👍
Thanks! And yeah, it's VERY hard.
Aloha 🌴🌴
Howdy
I feel so conflicted about loving Instagram reels and watching less RUclips. I've also turned to books more, which makes sense since I work in a library. But short form videos really suck you in.
they're addicting!
Just watch this video and went on half price books and found your books.
Was going to ask you did you volunteer on Mercy ship? I live in Tyler not too far from their headquarters and to volunteer with them is on my to do list.
I did - I've made a few videos about it in the past and wrote about it in my book. I'd recommend it but with some pretty big caveats - it's a very intense experience in a number of ways.
@@JaySwanson i’m going to be in Paris from October 24 through November 5. Would love to meet up with you and buy you coffee or possibly lunch depending on your schedule.
Regarding the possibility of AI producing art for the viewer based on what they want to see, or what an algorithm thinks they will respond to best, we should be considering the role of paternalism in creators. Should we trust individuals and companies to create what suits them best (or that they believe suits them best)? Or should the creator lean into the duty of providing experiences to people for paternalistic reasons?
Surely, if everyone was their own director they would miss out on a lot. They might not even really know what they want. It may sound condescending, but perhaps we need to acknowledge that the general public is not expected to be discerning or creative, or that an algorithm would have your best interests as its motive.
Next, where a creator is merely putting out work that they enjoy making, why should the public sympathise if they are usurped by a machine? Unless, as in the above, a creator is providing art of a greater quality, or giving people art of greater quality where a machine wouldn't have the impetus (that might benefit them even if it does not strike them as the most 'clickable' initially), then why does it matter if creatives lose out? In some cases the machine might be 'better'* at fulfilling humans' experiences.
*not that this is definable without its own problems.
That snap back backwards really brings out the bald head...🤔...why
I suggest you leave the published stories behind. You've learned from them. Start new stories and apply lessons learned to them. Don't keep dwelling in the past. Don't be afraid to start........moving forward.
Onward and upward =D
Something near and dear to your heart? So, the fun pockets on your collection of T-Shirts?
Who now wants to see a movie about a space raccoon that befriends a cucumber and blows up the moon?
Trash Pandas IN SPACE
You don’t need AI, I bet A24 will take up your Raccoon in Space idea lol
😂
8:30 I disagree: I do feel there is a movement to get back to books, but it will take time. Also, the whole ‘Will this take over?’ thing has happening since radio took over newspapers and then TV took over radio.
The biggest obstacle in the face of creative pursuits is the defunding of any kind of Arts Programs. Schools are casually slashing off the Humanities for a while now.
You assume the humanities are the greatest way to bring arts to people. To get much out of the humanities requires many years of study beyond what a school would provide - but the things that allow most people to engage with great art lie in a range of things - having available income, transport, museum technicians, the internet, and so on.
My advice is stop trying to be like Casey Neistat ten years ago. No one wants to see someone getting ready then going for a run, who wants to see a middle aged man exercising??? Anyway, love Paris, show more of that. Cheers
That snap back backwards really brings out the bald head...🤔...why