“Art for art’s sake is an empty phrase. Art for the sake of truth, art for the sake of the good and the beautiful, that is the faith I am searching for.”
George Sand
As we come to the end of this blog series, I can think of no better way to begin than with that quote by George Sand. If you’ve followed along in this series, you’ve learned quite a bit about me. But today, I want to take a step back from the history, the personal events, and any sort of timeline. In fact, I want to even take a step back from Evorath and focus on the simple question: who am I really?
So, if you’re new here, you’re welcome to start by reading this post. Then afterwards, you might wish to go back and read all the other posts in the series, starting with the first one here. Either way, let’s start by considering some labels that can be applied to me.
How Would Others Describe Me?
“Husband, father, and seeker of truth.” These are three adjectives I include in my own description of myself. However, they are far from the only ones that have been used to describe me. Rather than include the inaccurate ones introduced by bias, lack of information, or faulty assumptions, here are some adjectives that could be added to the list:
- Christian/follower-of-Christ
- Son/brother/uncle
- Author/poet/philosopher
- Anarchist/voluntaryist/agorist
- Homesteader/farmer/gardener
And there’s plenty more for sure, but who wants to just read a list of adjectives? Instead, we should consider this little nugget: different people, depending on how we interact with them and in what circumstances they engage with us, will think of us in different ways. None of them are necessarily wrong, but none show the entire picture. Instead, I think my motivation for writing can help reveal a lot more.
What Is My Motivation for Writing?
I’ve said before that I didn’t choose to be an author. And back to the wall, I would stand by that sentiment: I was called by God to write down these stories. To be clear, this isn’t some self-important, ego-driven statement, though I can understand how it may come across as such. On the contrary, I believe artistic inspiration all stems from God; whether the artist believes or acknowledges doesn’t change the source. In fact, I think that’s humanity’s truest calling: to create art as George Sand described in the quote above.
So, to be concise, my motivation for writing these stories is simple: I must. If I don’t record these stories, I am denying my true calling in life, my purpose for being here. All the fascination I have with fantasy and the supernatural would be wasted if I just used to drool over other people’s stories. After all, I have a story to tell that excites me and fills me with purpose and meaning. How could I keep that to myself?
But Who Am I, Really?
Of course, all these musings don’t really answer the question: who am I, really? And I’m sorry to disappoint you if you were looking for a simple answer. Because the reality is, and perhaps this says something about who I am, that no one can answer it so simply. Popular culture seems obsessed with putting people into neat little boxes, defining them by their jobs, their race or ethnic group, or even something as insignificant as their sexual orientation. It’s time we took a step back and realized how limiting this is. People are complex, beautiful creatures and they should be treated as such.
In other words, I’m an author. I’m a husband, a father, a Christian. I’m a voluntaryist, an instrument of love and peace in the world. But none of these things fully capture the tapestry of my personhood. And I implore you, whatever you do, don’t let yourself get pigeonholed into a one-dimensional identity either!
And with that, we bring this series to a close. If you’ve followed around since the beginning, thank you! My new book, The Shadows of Erathal has been out for a week now, so if you haven’t gotten your copy yet, I’d love to see you pick that up here: https://amzn.to/3NFOJ6m
Until next time, may you find joy in peace in whatever you read.
