Comment on Why do you create? by sonatime

Parent Post: Why do you create? · In Reply To

sonatime · 12/9/2025, 10:33:30 PM · permalink

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sacredcow · 12/11/2025, 11:23:51 AM · permalink

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sonatime · 12/11/2025, 11:29:40 AM · permalink

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seraphima · 12/12/2025, 11:48:13 AM · permalink

Ugly things have their place too. Sonictitan just posted a piece where Mickey Mouse’s face is blown off. There’s a noose around his neck and blood dripping down on the corpse. Gruesome. When I saw it, I recoiled. The fact that there was a visceral reaction tells me he achieved his goal. Ugly things make us feel ugly feelings. They make us face ugly truths. Obliterate Mickey’s face. It’s an act of incredible rage against a character that symbolizes childlike innocence and perpetual happiness. Now, is the artist making a statement about symbolism? What is he saying to his audience with that graphically disturbing choice of expression? I don’t know but I know I didn’t like it. I know that when I saw it, it made me kinda angry. It’s like he took pleasure in the violence and that bothered me. So, the fact that it bothered me fascinates me. I think art, both good and bad, exists to deepen conversations with ourselves about who we are and not necessarily the artist.   
  
Thank you for coming to my TED talk. 🥂

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sonatime · 12/17/2025, 11:20:57 AM · permalink

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seraphima · 12/17/2025, 12:41:27 PM · permalink

“If only I could turn these experiences into something positive and redeemable, in any small way.”

I’ve been around for, what, like 7 months now, and everything you do is redeemable. Most of it is positive. :) Even when you express negative things, it should, I hope, be like a release valve. Repressing negativity is a recipe for depression and stagnancy. Soul death. Ignoring reality doesn’t make it go away. What you resist persists, right?

Your choice to create at all shows clearly that you embrace the discomfort of vulnerability (art is always uncomfortable, imo, due to sharing something from inside) and hope, possibly hope that in the creation of your work, any work, you are recreating yourself.

Yes, we are all programmed. We are all products of dysfunctional and oppressive forces (Disney included) but through making art, the act of interpreting life as we know it and putting the pieces back together again in a new way, we can dismantle systems if we want to. You loved cartoons. Love them now. Love them forever. In terms of contributing, make them. Cartoons got you through some bad times, eh? You can make them for others and be a part of their necessary escapism and healing too. What you create in this world can live on in the minds and hearts of others too (and I can tell you, personally, that it already does).

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sonatime · 12/17/2025, 3:14:13 PM · permalink

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seraphima · 12/17/2025, 3:30:11 PM · permalink

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sonatime · 12/21/2025, 11:25:37 AM · permalink

I have to be real, there might be a delay in my response anytime I have to really evaluate and think about nostalgic memories. It could be just a few simple thoughts and observations competing for attention at the same time. I very much enjoy the warm comment and complements I imagine:) Some of my displayed character was influenced by a combination of a "free speech platform", pocha choice and dark humor, which may or may not be ideal for online content. But I am mostly myself here... so I have that going:)   
  
Yeah, reality is not about to give anyone a break in the long-term:)  
  
I don't know if I really create here, I would identify it as curating but I'm not going to argue if the impression is authentic and positive:)   
  
I loved cartoons probably for the dopamine escapism when I really think about it. I had my fill of playing outside till it was too dark to see the ball and I watched way too many television classics and even then cartoons were a big thing:) There was nothing extraordinary to escape, only little bit of those mundane kid's moments but maybe because I already had almost no responsibility and all the freedom.   
  
I'm happy that things land mostly positively because I was never concerned with impressions and I could have taken a more complete and wholesome approach. It's too late worry about that now. Thank you for all the kind words. Big hug:)

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sacredcow · 12/11/2025, 11:44:33 AM · permalink

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seraphima · 12/12/2025, 11:56:55 AM · permalink

Romero’s work is somewhat laughable now but, as someone who is passionate about the “slow walking” corpses, I can say I have a legit reason for caring. When the CDC and Amazon care, I care.  
  
Case in point (legal text is NOT supposed to be fun, interesting, exciting, and or memorable; what you see below is a blatant lie but I don’t know why which makes me very uncomfortable):   
  
AMAZON updates its Terms of Service: PROHIBITS using AWS in ...

The Amazon "zombie clause" *is a fun, famous exception in the terms of service for Amazon Web Services'* (AWS) game engine, Lumberyard, stating that normal restrictions on using the software for "life-critical" systems (like medical devices or nuclear facilities) are lifted if a zombie apocalypse occurs (a "widespread viral infection" causing reanimated corpses). *It was added in 2016 as a clever marketing stunt and way to make **mundane legal text** memorable*, allowing developers to use the engine for zombie games during such an event without violating the usual safety disclaimers.

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sacredcow · 12/12/2025, 12:28:42 PM · permalink

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sonatime · 12/12/2025, 7:43:23 AM · permalink

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seraphima · 12/12/2025, 11:39:09 AM · permalink

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seraphima · 12/9/2025, 10:41:00 PM · permalink

Many now-famous artists, like Vincent van Gogh, Johannes Vermeer, Emily Dickinson, and J.S. Bach, achieved little fame or success during their lifetimes, with their genius recognized posthumously as the world caught up to their innovative styles, bold emotions, or hidden manuscripts, making them foundational figures in art and literature today.   
  
Here's a list of prominent examples:  
  
Painters  
  
Vincent van Gogh: Sold only one painting in his lifetime, now one of history's most celebrated artists.   
  
Johannes Vermeer: A mysterious figure who was virtually unknown until centuries after his death, with few surviving works.   
  
Claude-Monet: Though eventually successful, early groundbreaking works faced significant scorn, as seen with other Impressionists.   
  
Amrita Sher-Gil: An Indian painter often called India's Frida Kahlo, recognized later for her unique vision.   
  
Writers &amp; Poets  
  
Emily Dickinson: Published very few poems during her life; most were discovered in her desk after her death.  
  
Herman Melville: Author of Moby Dick, saw initial success fade, and died largely unrecognized.  
  
Franz Kafka: A novelist whose surreal, poignant works were largely published posthumously by friends.   
  
Musicians &amp; Composers  
  
J.S. Bach: A prolific composer considered a relatively obscure figure in his time, with his genius later rediscovered.  
  
Nick Drake: A folk singer whose introspective albums gained a cult following and massive posthumous fame.  
  
Jeff Buckley: Achieved cult status but died young, with his masterpiece Grace only gaining widespread acclaim later.

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sacredcow · 12/11/2025, 11:25:54 AM · permalink

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seraphima · 12/11/2025, 12:44:05 PM · permalink

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sacredcow · 12/11/2025, 8:15:42 PM · permalink

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seraphima · 12/11/2025, 12:46:50 PM · permalink

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seraphima · 12/9/2025, 10:41:20 PM · permalink

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sonatime · 12/9/2025, 11:01:32 PM · permalink

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