October Novel Prep Challenge

The creative arts (comprised of visual, performing, and literary arts) are, in the simplest terms, forms of human expression. The arts are uniquely innovations of humanity, and they exist to express the things we as humans believe, fear, feel, and care about.

The novice artists among us may not fully grasp the inherent expressivity that makes art art. It can take years, even decades of study to pin down why we love the paintings, sculptures, photography, songs, plays, movies, dances, poems, stories, reels and TikTok videos that speak to us, that bring us joy or peace, that make us laugh or cry, or that scare the crap out of us.

Themes are the articulation of what we are expressing as artists. Themes are the things we're trying to say with our art.

You may think you don't have anything profound to say. You may think you just want to tell a story. But as you write, as your characters act and make decisions, they will reflect your own beliefs, fears, feelings, and passions.

Pop quiz: What are the themes of the following compositions? What makes them uniquely human?

(Seriously: respond to the thread with your answers. 😁)

Painting: Vincent Van Gogh, The Starry Night  
Sculpture: Myron, Discobolus  
Photography: Harold Edgerton, Milk Drop Coronet  
Song: Michael Jackson, Thriller  
Play: Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet  
Movie: Star Wars  
Dance: The Tango  
Poem: Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken  

And, of course, Stories:
Homer, The Odyssey
Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Edgar Allan Poe, "The Tell-Tale Heart"
The Brothers Grimm, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves"
Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code
J.K.Rowling's Harry Potter series
E.B. White, Charlotte's Web
Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games
George Orwell, 1984
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings trilogy

Or how about the reverse: Can you name a creative work, in any media, that expresses any of the following themes:

Good/Evil
Death/Survival
Circle of life
Family
Coming of age
Friendship
Trust/Betrayal
Faith/Doubt
Retribution/Forgiveness
Positivity/Negativity
Courage/Cowardice
Love conquers all
War
Power/Corruption

These are universal themes because they impact us universally as humans. Wherever and whenever you were born, to whatever family and whatever culture, you have been exposed to these themes, and you probably have opinions about them. Maybe you think the theme of Romeo and Juliet is "love conquers all" because their passionate love for each other bridged a gap that had existed for generations between the Montegues and Capulets. Or maybe you think this was a "coming of age" story gone wrong: stupid kids who think they're in love but can't successfully communicate are both dead now. Maybe your opinion of good versus evil is that it doesn't matter how good or evil you are; life just isn't fair sometimes. The point here is: while the themes are universal, your personal beliefs about them are your own, and your art is how you express those beliefs. Your art... and your social media posts. 😂

What themes are you exploring in your own work?
Do you need help pinning down your themes?

Thematically,
Michelle