Be Romantic!
Jena Romantics were not afraid of paradox. Of course, they were convinced that genius is unique – can you possibly think of a good reason why not? You take a walk in the forest with your hair open and a long coat, it is a dark and stormy night, and then, in the midst of weird shades, you have the idea for a poem (or, for that matter, a novel), you get back home in a hurry, your coat still dripping, your hair kind of stinking like a wet dog, you light a candle, and then you start writing, the whole night, and when morning comes, the work of art is there. That, my friend, is genius at work!
Or at least, when morning comes, the core of the artwork to be is there. Because, well, you know, a draft needs some additional work. It needs polishing, shortening, precising, tuning in the structure, avoiding repetitions, not changing the name of a character along time or the color of his/her hair, etc. But that is not genius. That is work. Continue reading “Symphilology”