The ecstasy of influence . . .

Here is a great article by Jonathan Lethem which appeared in a recent issue of Harpers. In the article, entitled The Ecstasy of Influence, Lethem discusses subjects such as copyright, plagiarism, and the creative commons -- offering comments about the creative process and its function in society. I especially was struck by this paragraph:

Most artists are brought to their vocation when their own nascent gifts are awakened by the work of a master. That is to say, most artists are converted to art by art itself. Finding one's voice isn't just an emptying and purifying oneself of the words of others but an adopting and embracing of filiations, communities, and discourses. Inspiration could be called inhaling the memory of an act never experienced. Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void but out of chaos. Any artist knows these truths, no matter how deeply he or she submerges that knowing.

It's a really good read, affirming that we are part of a continuum of creative thought, word, and deed.

jason