MDNA And Me

few days ago I happened to catch Madonna on the Ellen Show on Youtube and it was a very fascinating interview in which I learned that not to my surprise, I actually have a lot more in common with the singer than I previously thought, not because I can sing or anything (and definitely not because I’m as flexible as her, though here’s hoping some day…) but because she like myself is an artist. She’s driven, she knows what she wants and she’s not afraid to do what it takes to get it. And like all artists, she admitted, she’s never really satisfied with her work either. I can’t really say for sure why, but it’s always comforting to hear people who are wildly successful admit that they’re often just as insecure as the rest of us. Artists are perfectionists by nature (in fact I can’t think of a single artist I know who isn’t a perfectionist), we strive to make things the best we possibly can, but ultimately we know that if we’re ever going to give our art to the world we have to let it go.

A few months ago I read a quote from Da Vinci that said, art is never really finished, merely abandoned. This almost sounds sad, but when you consider how long an artist could spend on one piece of work it also makes a lot of sense. At some point, you have to be willing to let go. As Andy Warhol said: Let other’s decide whether or not your art is any good. 

I’m sure I’ve said all of this before, but like many things it bares repeating, because even though this is my third book, I know that it will be just as hard to let go of as the first two. Letting go is perhaps one of the most difficult parts of being an artist, deciding that it’s time to show the world what we’ve created; and I don’t think it get’s any easier just because we’ve been down this road before. I can’t help but wonder… by the hundredth book does it eventually get easier? Anybody who happens to know Stephen King ask him that for me, would you? Better yet, give me his email I’ll ask him myself.

PS: For any of you who may have just crashed your Delorean into my blog, from the 1980′s, no I did not mistype my title. I very much meant MDNA, the title for Madonna’s latest album, not the shortened technical term for ecstasy.

PPS: … at least I think I’m funny.