The Curse of Joy

It has been said that there is no greater curse you can put on a writer than to make him happy. Artists can only create through pain and misery. Every day that you spend being happy is a day wasted.

When I first heard this, I had to disagree with it. As a writer who seeks happiness, that would be a lifelong conflict I could never hope to bear. I also couldn't believe that writing couldn't come from happiness. We have paintings, music, and dances that express pure joy; why can't writing? In fact, I know that there are plenty of books that make people feel good.

It wasn't until I tried to write while I was happy that I truly understood the saying. For one thing, I had nothing to write. I was so busy being happy that I couldn't come up with any stories or ideas. I wanted to write so badly, but I was so engrossed in elation that it was the only thing I could write about. Fortunately, I still had enough sense to know that all of my ideas were lovey-dovey garbage and the only person who would enjoy reading it was no one.

I don't want to sound cold-hearted and calloused, so let me explain. Being happy is great. It is something we should all experience and strive for. But true joy is an experience. That is a time to live life, not a time to write about life. To write, we need to leave from the world, enter our minds, and record our thoughts and observations. It is best done when we are in a contemplative mood, not a joyous one.

Now, as I said before, there are writings that are very happy and makes us smile when we read them. That does not mean they are the same feelings that the authors were having as they wrote them. Some authors create happy scenes because it's the only time they get to experience them. Some authors create happy scenes simply because they are exploring the world and life and want to see what it's like. Some people want to create happy scenes because there is joy in their hearts and they wish to share it.

In any case, the writers all share the quality of being in their minds as they write. It is what they think that compels them to write, not what they feel. Everything that I said about happiness can also be said about depression or rage. The fact is that any time your feelings are stronger than your thoughts, you won't be writing anything very good. That doesn't mean you should try to avoid or repress your feelings, though. Emotions are a part of life. They're going to happen. Live'em up. Just remember that you may want to stay away from your pen while doing so.