If anybody would’ve told me a few years ago that rules make life easier, I would’ve laughed and walked away. These days, though, I’m older and wiser. Well, older in any case. And I’ve come to the conclusion that rules not only make life easier but are some of the glue that holds it together.
Don’t get me wrong. The first thing I do when faced with a rule is to question it. I tend to be very sceptical of external rules. Traffic rules, for example. Somebody please explain to me why I have to come to a full stop at a Stop sign when there’s nothing to block my view, and the coast is clear in all directions. The only – and I mean the only – reason for me to stop is because I don’t want to get a ticket. Anyway. What was I saying? Yes. Rules do serve a purpose, in life as well as in writing.
Rules in General
Life without rules is a free-for-all. Anarchy. To make peaceful coexistence possible at all, we need rules. They can be unwritten, like ethical or moral codes, the rules of etiquette or of organizational culture. Then there are written rules like religious strictures, secular law, or specific contracts. Their purpose is the same: To regulate the behavior of individuals and the larger component parts of society.
Where we get in trouble is when rules aren’t enforced or applied equitably, or when those in power craft rules to elevate themselves and keep others down. This has always been and still is an enormous problem, but others have written about it a lot more eloquently and powerfully than I ever will.
For this piece I have a different set of rules in mind, namely the ones that underly art in general, and writing in particular.
Rules in Art
Ideas are boundless and need obey no rules. In order to go from the limitless realm of ideas to a concrete piece of art, however, rules are essential.
Internal Rules
Some of these rules are internal and voluntary. We impose them on ourselves: Which media to use? Which genre to write in? Black-and-white or color? First person or omniscient? These rules are very flexible and come down to our own choices. We can always change our minds if the rules don’t work for a particular piece. All we’ll have lost is some time and maybe some material. Still, it’s not a total loss, because we will have learned something in the process, if only what doesn’t work.
Then there are involuntary internal boundaries that we come up against every so often. They are the limits of our craft. How well we’ve mastered our instrument, our technique, our language(s). These boundaries aren’t as readily changeable as the voluntary ones. We have to work hard to overcome them or at least to stretch them a little. This is where art as practice comes in.
External Rules
And finally there are external rules that govern things like marketability and recognition. The rules that keep the gatekeepers happy and in business. To ignore these rules is perfectly fine. Some of the greatest artists have blazed their own path, have ignored or gone against externally imposed rules, and have done so to great success. Others have only known that success posthumously. It’s a rocky and uncertain path, but it can lead to great heights if it’s chosen consciously.
If you have honed your skills to a glittering edge, if you’re so good at what you do that rules become no more than suggestions, I can only imagine how rewarding it would be to follow that path. But for us mere mortals, especially for those of us who are at the very beginning of our travels, following external rules might not be such a bad idea. It might make sense for us to master our craft first, and learn the written and unwritten rules before we try to break or bend or circumvent them.
Rules as Fences
Rules aren’t always meant to stifle. They can be the signposts on our path. The training wheels on our bike. The fence around our playground. Rules can be the boundaries within which we’re free to explore and grow. The boundaries against which we can measure ourselves and which we can expand as our skill set and comfort zones expand.
Some day we might shatter the rules and create something truly original. Then we will have moved the fences to create a bigger playground not only for ourselves but for everyone who cares to join us.