It's not pretty...

Crossposted from: http://puttputtproductions.com/blogetary/2011/04/24/its-not-pretty/

Watching Robert Plant on Artists Den. The music is compelling, intricate, sophisticated and simple at once, heart- filled and intelligent at once. It's world class music. But look at those faces. See any botox there? Any "wen" shampoo? Any skin tight spandex or costumery ephemera? No. It's all pure personality, shining through craggy faces, wrinkled hands, wild hair and quirky clothing. There aren't any pretty young darlings here. These musicians are in it, and have been in it, for the long haul. They have poured themselves - their lives, hearts, minds and souls - into the one art that brings them joy, their music. They've sold their souls to their craft and have paid the price. Their music is gorgeous, but they aren't pretty.

You'll notice that's the way it is with many musicians out there who have careers that have spanned several decades: Elton John, Paul McCartney, Bonnie Raitt and others. Or take a look at artists and writers. Even stage actors. The better they get at their craft, the "uglier" they get by the world's standards. Their eyes have the creative spark. They are quirky, see the world from a different point of view still, exploring as much as they can to pour it into their craft while they're still on this planet. They have lots of personality that just leaps off of them when they enter a room. But they aren't the pretty young things they were when they began.

I have a theory. There was a time when they were pretty. Beautiful. Handsome. On every video channel. There was a time when they were the darlings - the hot Justin Biebers, Jonas Brothers, Lady Gagas, etc. of their time. This helped them catch the eye of the public or the manager or whomever until they could prove their talent, or until they grew into their talent. But that beauty wasn't really them. That beauty was a facade meant to fool the shallow media hungry world until it understood the talent underneath the facade. As more of their talent was revealed, more of the beautiful facade fell away, because the world no longer needed superficial beauty once the beauty of the talent - be it music, art or wordsmithing - was revealed. The more the true beauty beneath was revealed, the less the false beauty was needed.

At least, that's what I hope. Or it could be that I find as I grow older and have more crags on my face and wrinkles in my hands, that I prefer the talent of the "uglies" to the beauty and youth of the "pretties", that I resonate more with the depth of the message in the art and music and writing created from experience developed over many years to the quick, hot passion of the young, beauties just starting out.

I guess, over time, it won't matter, though. Because, those young pretties who have staying talent will, over time, lose the beauty on the surface to better show off the beauty of their talent. And then, eventually, they won't be pretty, anymore.