When Art Gets In The Way

I think most creative types are so focused on their craft, that they forget to see what happens when you do succeed. I doubt anyone who has reached the apex of their career goals ever sees it as the end. It's always the next springboard to something else. This is part of the joy of making movies...stories are always different.

I got to thinking after listening to Jann Wenner, creator of Rolling Stone magazine. He hung out with John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and so forth. In the interview, I heard him speaking about how Bob Dylan had come to his house and just sat and played on his guitar. In my mind, that's all the guy probably could do. Most likely relived rock days, talk about politics. I think as I get older, I prefer sitting in my own thoughts (such as I do here).
Then it occurred to me. There isn't really another way to live for Dylan or rock legends to live besides their music. To me, that would bore me to tears. Unless we hear great groupie stories. And even then, those get old. I think when you get to a level in your career and you're still doing it, maybe we won't have experiences to draw on anymore. When you're a struggling artist, you are at the ground level. When you lose anonymity, you can't even observe.
Can you imagine being at a place where you can afford the best food, car and living and just...unable to reconnect on a human leve. Most of the public mock this phony boo-hoo'ing, but it's actually worse than prison. Look at Prince. Whose persona was created so early, he had no other choice but to create a compound and invite people to observe. Michael Jackson. I argue had he been less talented and driven, he'd live longer. Fame always come with a price. But that's what they were willing to give to us puny Earthlings. What we lack in the ability to communicate with one another.
People build walls now. Somehow pretending like you're important means more than actually being important. The Instagram site really shows a life no one can possibly live next to comments and "likes" no one has earned.

I would bet anything, this is why famous people lament the loss of personal space and anonymity.