Sometimes I do not write for months on end. There are ideas and thoughts floating in and out of the mind but nothing takes shape or form. To be able to create one must wait patiently to be allowed entry into the innermost realm of the psyche, that sanctum sanctorium of creativity. The great Malayalam poet Akkitham sheds light on the workings of the creative spirit.
"If I take it (pen) deliberately to write a poem, the result is a failure. Several are such occasions. What does it mean? Pen is not always submissive to me as spade is. But to the "self" residing in me, pen is an instrument, always submissive. ...
My skill, if it is mine, in composing poetry is not always under my control. All my willpower, inspiration, balance, everything else are real. But those are not the ultimate causes. I have always been feeling that some wisdom does exist behind or beyond all these powers. That is why I say that I cannot be proud that I was, is or will be the final authority of my poetry.That power which does not obey my will, the will to act or not to act does work even when I am asleep. Sometimes I wake up, enter my study, switch on (the) light and leaning on the table trace the lines from memory. This is not a fantasy but a fact. Having the experience of such occasions, I cannot say that my ego is the solo factor responsible for my poetry, I tell you frankly that I am not the root cause for my poetry , but somebody with me, some spirit, which becomes bright only when it itself wants to be bright."
Only God’s presence in art will be able to make itself exist or extend to distant regions of time and space - -Akkitham Achyuthan Nambudiri
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| Poet Akkitham |
My skill, if it is mine, in composing poetry is not always under my control. All my willpower, inspiration, balance, everything else are real. But those are not the ultimate causes. I have always been feeling that some wisdom does exist behind or beyond all these powers. That is why I say that I cannot be proud that I was, is or will be the final authority of my poetry.That power which does not obey my will, the will to act or not to act does work even when I am asleep. Sometimes I wake up, enter my study, switch on (the) light and leaning on the table trace the lines from memory. This is not a fantasy but a fact. Having the experience of such occasions, I cannot say that my ego is the solo factor responsible for my poetry, I tell you frankly that I am not the root cause for my poetry , but somebody with me, some spirit, which becomes bright only when it itself wants to be bright."
Only God’s presence in art will be able to make itself exist or extend to distant regions of time and space - -Akkitham Achyuthan Nambudiri
