It can seem quite romantic from the outside, being seen and revered by many. According to many who’ve experienced fame, it is really not all it’s cracked up to be.
From an outside perspective, it can be difficult to imagine why this would be the case, for many people suffer from great loneliness while being very alone. It can be deeply frustrating to receive little or no attention from others. As a basic human need, we all need interaction with others… kind words, touch… love. We quickly die without such interactions with others, a fact repeatedly proven by science.
There are really two main tracks that one might consider downsides to fame, either fame achieved during life or fame achieved after death. The latter is pretty self-explanatory, for those who became famous after death were not fully recognized for their value while living.
Many great artists throughout time would fall into this category. A second drawback of fame achieved after death, is that of becoming legendary, as opposed to being truly known. Generally speaking, how people are remembered is not an accurate representation of who they were when they were alive. Without the ability to answer questions or correct incorrect interpretations, their work can easily be misrepresented, often completely dishonoring the original intentions. Certainly becoming a legend is a curse of its own sorts, for in becoming a legend, one inherently becomes little more than a myth.
Fame achieved during life is riddled with its own issues. There is still a common theme about being misunderstood, for most people who achieve fame are often perceived in a larger-than-life point of view. Rarely is a famous person known for all of their actual humanity. People tend to forget that we are all human beings first, full of struggles and joys, gifts and losses. Limelight can make us forget that we are seeing a real person, rather we often just see someone who is “above” what is considered normal.
For such celebrated people, the is likely a tremendous amount of pressure to maintain an image that is not true to them, one that does not allow them to show their weaknesses. In this way, it can become an exceptionally lonely place to stand, and they can become burdened by carrying weights that cannot be relieved through open sharing with others. Such celebrities will often live and die without ever actually being known, and then are still left with the downstream possibility of becoming legendary.
While in life, there are certainly other pronounced challenges with fame. One of the most notable is that individuals operating with selfish motives surround successful people. Associating with celebrated people can provide opportunities for others to “get ahead”. They know people, they have reach, and they sometimes have an abundance of wealth. These are all quite tempting aspects for those who have been unable to achieve them on their own. Unfortunately, this can lead to relations that are very superficial, further contributing to a famous person’s loneliness. I mean, who just wants to be loved only for their money or for who they know?
There are plenty of examples of exceptional artists who have achieved great fame during their lifetimes. In many cases, it was their close relationship to pain and suffering that was at the heart of what made them famous in the first place. The works of art that have resulted from such sad sources are some of the most profound and touching masterpieces ever known to man.
One example that I am present to today is the work of Roger Waters (Pink Floyd), who has a number of works that fit this dynamic. Perhaps the most famous of this is “The Wall” which is arguably one of the most potent and heart-wrenching music albums ever made. This music (and the film) touched me quite deeply in my youth and has continued to be meaningful to me throughout my life. I am not alone on this, as this timeless material has touched countless people over the decades since it was produced.
The album resonates with such authentic human emotion, that it becomes easily relatable to so many. It so perfectly encapsulates timeless manifestations of feelings of heartbreak, loneliness, addiction, and so many other emotions that we all experience at one point or another. A consistent theme of the suffering found inside of fame is also prevalent; giving us a moving and accurate reflection of what being famous can actually be like. It is perhaps one of the best examples of this dynamic.
One of the things I really appreciate about this example is the truth in the expression. Sure the work is filled with great talent, true craftsmanship, and a high production value, but those are not the most compelling aspects to me. I am consistently touched by the authenticity above all else. No person could ever successfully recreate most Pink Floyd music (or even really understand it fully), because they lack the experience of being inside of it. Still our hearts seem to understand in the listening of it, because Water’s very resonance is within the songs themselves.
Though none can ever really come close to Pink Floyd, Shadows Illuminated has certainly been influenced by their work, as I have as an artist. The album that I created was sourced from a similar place; from the suffering within my own experience, that would otherwise only have lived within me. In the creation and publication of the album, I did my best to allow my inner world and struggles to be known, and more so to be a very unique and artistic gift to share with others. When it comes down to it, Shadows Illuminated is my soul standing naked in public for all to see. Similarly to the works of Pink Floyd, no other could perform this material to the same authentic affect that I have, for none can possibly know my experience from the inside.
In the production of the Album, and now the play, I have sought to tell my story in a way that will represent the truth of my inner life. It seems there is little risk of becoming famous for my work, given what it takes to even get art noticed in today’s world. Perhaps it is for the best to have avoided a curse of fame, or even worse, that of becoming a legend.
Still I feel that the work that I have produced has done an exceptional job at telling my story with authenticity. Combined with my entire body of work (photography, books, poetry, albums) over years, I have done my best to express the universe of my very unique life experience. In doing so, I hope to have created a kind of insurance policy, where if (by some remote chance) I was destined for fame, my story may be known and experienced with some heartfelt accuracy.
Thank you for reading.
Here I am singing a Pink Floyd song.
Please purchase Shadows Illuminated (or my other albums) at CD Baby.
Please attend Shadows Illuminated, the Live Performance in Seattle on April 27th.
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