How far, as artists, are we allowed to take topics? This is a question I’m sure anyone with a history of writing has had to ask themselves. When is a good time to stop and let the imagination take hold instead of putting it into words? I, for one, think not having a leash when it comes to controversial topics is an okay idea. Sure, there are some people who would be able to handle the fact that people have different opinions of them and that people sometimes feel the need to write about something that’s bothering them, but there are also the people that would take these occurrences personally. The big question is: are we going to have the patience to handle the latter of the choices?
People usually respond to these hurdles by saying “Well, people shouldn’t be so sensitive.” Or ” Why don’t they just not read what they don’t like?” And these are great arguments. Why should one person keep their thoughts to themselves, thoughts that could possibly be poisoning their mind, just because someone is afraid to handle difficult topics? There is always the possibility of it being just as hard for the artist to discus the topic as it is for that certain someone to hear about it but that shouldn’t stop them. When someone has a question or an opinion, they should be able to discus and entertain ideas without persecution.
Then there is the other option of why can’t they read what they want to and stay away from what upsets them? It is no secret that people tend to enjoy getting into arguments- no matter what they’re about. So, when it comes to reading what they can’t handle it should be no one’s fault but their own if the choose to get upset or offended about that certain discussion.
There are some days when I want to write about everything wrong in the world but I keep from doing so because usually the things that I think are wrong, other people would disagree with. Things such as feminism and sexism usually end up starting an argument with my brother, sometimes even my mom. How am I supposed to write about my feelings and opinions when I’m the one being attacked? There’s a difference between attacking an idea and attacking a person but on most occasions people seem to get the two mixed up and I think that should be something we, as a people, should be able to discern.
The idea of artists’ freedom is extremely sensitive, and the way you approached the topic was smart. You said towards the end how we sometimes mix up the difference between attacking an idea and a person, and I think we should do neither; we should approach conflicting ideologies with an open mind. This was a great post, made me think.