Carol Kroll

The art of distraction demonstrated in a movie…

Finally watched the Sylvia Plath movie the other night. I wanted to see it when it came out, but like usual, didn’t. It was excellent and of course depressing, but you know, what else would one be expecting when dealing with Sylvia Plath.

What I liked the most about the movie is that they addressed how she distracted herself with making cakes while she was supposed to be writing. They never really go into that when talking about artists/writers/musicians etc’s. That is something I have talked about within my circle of creative friends, but you never really see that displayed or demonstrated in a movie when they go into their life stories and the pursuit of their craft. The very real aspect of distraction and procrastination. And the fact that they showed her husband Ted Hughes calling her on it was even cooler yet. And you certainly never expect accomplished “well-knowns” to do the same tricks you do to avoid making your things. I don’t know why the very thing you want and need to do – you try to avoid sometimes like the plague. The “why bother, nobody cares, you suck” voices come out and do a slight of hand with internal dialogue like “guess I’ll cut the grass and obsess about my lawn, make some cherry crisp, experiment with soup recipes, get a part-time job at the library or make 15 appetizers for the hell of it and distract myself with what the rest of the world views as real because hardcore artistic pursuits aren’t”.

I mean, all of those things are all admirable things mind you, it is just the way they are applied and to what degree. But it takes over quicker if one is not careful and art/music/writing gets avoided or not done at all. Just speaking from my own personal experience.

Plus she was a woman in the 1950’s so we all know what extra voices from society she probably had pushing her into making cakes when she should have been writing. Oddly enough, some of that society chatter is still in existence for female creatives in my humble opinion, but certainly not as intense as before The Women’s Movement of course. Anyway, I really liked that they addressed the art of distracting yourself aspect. It was good to see. Reassuring in an odd sort of way and noted when I start veering into that direction. Which I do. Often.