Taylor Swift Syndrome
Anyone who has access to the internet knows about the musical sensation that is – Taylor Swift. More specifically, if you’ve ever spent more than two seconds researching her, you’ll know that Taylor has a staggering amount of songs which represent experiences from her life. As a result, it’s gotten to the point where her YouTube videos are littered with comments suggesting – oh so politely – that she should grow up and stop writing about her experiences … you know … stop writing about people you hate … you know … write about something worthy. I’m guessing they mean topics such as poverty, world peace, black lives rights and other things that Taylor couldn’t possibly achieve on her own, or have experience of (perhaps).
I just really don’t agree with the nay-ers telling her to write about something more ‘worthy’, and not just because the concept of ‘worthy’ is subjective. I simply don’t agree with a person being pushed to write about something that they possibly don’t have experience of at all (or be pushed into writing at all).
Most successful creators of art – whether it be music, paintings, movies etc. – will tell you a simple fact: that their creations come from what they feel most passionate about … and what they are most passionate about comes from their experiences. Therefore, if they have experience of racism, their art will likely represent racism; if they have experience of poverty, then their art is likely to reflect poverty; and if they have experienced abuse … well … you get the idea.
The truth is, if we want to create great art, then we need to connect with our innermost feelings as that is what we will represent the best, simply because those feelings will come from what we have personally experienced. In Taylor’s case, she happens to know a lot about love and loss … therefore, it is what she can express the best and, naturally, it is what she will write about the most. If, on the other hand, she starts writing songs about things of which she has no real experience, but which other people deem important, would she really be able to write it with the same passion and persuasive emotions as her love songs? I personally don’t think so; that’s not to say that she couldn’t write about poverty and other ‘important’ things, but that, if she does, it is unlikely to make the same impact as her love and breakup songs.
When we create from what we have experienced and feel most passionate about, we tend to create magic and effortlessly so, because we are not forcing the emotions required to create that art – it is already naturally there. That is the most persuasive form of art and the ones that other people, who feel the same way, can connect with the most. And ultimately, that’s what most creators want … for their audience to connect with their art.
I, for one, think it’s greatly unfair for Taylor to be criticised for what all great artists do, which is to use their experiences and express it in the most raw and sometimes painful way that they can. This is especially so when you consider that she is not the original trend-setter when it comes to creating from experiences – all good artists do it. If your opinion really is that she should stop writing about her breakups … then I guess all artists should stop creating from their most significant experiences. Thankfully though, I don’t see that happening anytime soon. Good God, can you imagine a world without art that reflects true passion … I know … it’s chilling! If anything, for those of us who are trying to find our artistic success, I think the best thing we can do for ourselves is to develop the Taylor Swift Syndrome, and write about what we know … regardless of what other people say.