Injecting heroin

• Pierce wrote on 2011-07-15 07:09

  Quote from Marie;513011:

  Is it bad that I think the description is beautiful?
  
  I'm deathly scared of drugs and what it does to people but...the description is honestly like a piece of art to me.

  
  
  I agree.
  
  OP, would you mind if I posted it somewhere else?
• Phunkie wrote on 2011-07-15 08:22

  Quote from Yoorah;513028:

  Drug use should not be glorified with fancy writing. :/
  They're all a bunch of low-life losers, that is all.

  
  
  Writing is a form of art, of self-expression, just like painting and singing.
  
  While we shouldn't condone actual drug use or any type of abuse, using words to manipulate a picture is quite beautiful. If someone can make you cringe by writing about how he killed someone and cut him into pieces, he's a good writer (even if he didn't kill anyone and the work is just fiction).
  
  The same can be said about songs of suicide and whatnot. We don't condone the act, but talking about it in an artistic or metaphorical way makes it rather beautiful, even if slightly grotesque. That's my take on it.
  
  
  

  Quote from Mama;512639:

  dopamine is one hell of a drug. That's what gives you anticipation, reward.. same thing happens after orgasm, same thing happens with love. A brain addicted to a significant other is very samey as one addicted to cocaine, and the bottom denominator in all of them is dopamine.

  
  
  WOW! Totally didn't know.
  
  Gives love a whole new meaning for me. Amazing!!
• Yoorah wrote on 2011-07-15 23:29
  Wrong. Writing can be a form of art. One's ability to choose a topic to write about is just as important, if not more important, than one's mastery of the language when it comes to evaluating how good of a writer they are. Learning to write pretty is something anyone can do and is not that great of an achievement. Deciding on a good, inspiring topic--the content, is a much more challenging task. This is where the artistic aspect lies.
  
  Does the guy have a good mastery of the language? Sure.
  But if you look at the content, it can be summarized as: "I did heroin and I liked it."
  Therefore, the whole thing is a piece of s*** with a pretty red ribbon tied to it.
  
  Normally, I'd just ignore something like this, if it wasn't for the specific topic at hand. Everyone knows drugs are bad, yet many get hooked in part due to the curiosity factor. Given that this forum consists primarily of easily impressionable children (some of which already have substance abuse issues), I see the post as a problem. As such, I hope I've managed to ruin the mood here, provide some sort of counter-balance and help people realize that this is bull****.
• Marie wrote on 2011-07-16 04:30

  Quote from Yoorah;513708:

  
  
  Does the guy have a good mastery of the language? Sure.
  But if you look at the content, it can be summarized as: "I did heroin and I liked it."
  Therefore, the whole thing is a piece of s*** with a pretty red ribbon tied to it.
  

  
  
  By your logic, Starry Night can be summarized as: "Some swirly circles representing the night sky."
  
  Also, you said "One's ability to choose a topic to write about is just as important, if not more important, than one's mastery of the language when it comes to evaluating how good of a writer they are."
  
  That's only your opinion. I actually believe that the topic of choice is irrelevant, and if a writer can make even a "bad" or "ordinary" topic intriguing, then all the power to them. If a writer writing about cheese (thinking of John Cheese from cracked.com here actually) can spin up a tale that I cannot tear away from, in my eyes that writer is a better writer than someone who chooses an "easy" topic, topics that already generate interest just for being so (i.e. politics, gay marriage, legalizing marijuana, mac vs. pc).
  
  You saying that the level of the writer depends on what subject they choose is like saying a teacher's capability should be judged on what subject he/she decides to teach, and that one subject is definitely better than another.
• Cucurbita wrote on 2011-07-16 05:45
  Or you know, we could just all save our health, money, and time by staying clean.
• Yoorah wrote on 2011-07-16 06:15

  Quote from Marie;514030:

  By your logic, Starry Night can be summarized as: "Some swirly circles representing the night sky."

  
  Good job using one of Van Gogh's most famous works for a comparison with a druggie's story. :(
  
  Anyway..
  
  You are confusing art and technique, little miss. What the druggie did was use writing technique to describe his experience in an effective way. While a good grasp of technique is often necessary for artistic expression, that alone does not create a work of art. Starry Night isn't famous for the painting technique used by Van Gogh, because it's really nothing special when compared to other paintings in this regard. Rather, it's about the artist's state of mind and the interpretation of the painiting, with technique being employed to convey that. This is not my opinion--this is fact.
  
  Did you ever get to study graphic design or take art classes in general? You'd find that there are guidelines for which colours to combine to get a pleasing effect, shapes and proportions that compliment each other, etc. Following these rules can create something pleasing to the eye without much artistic expression involved. It's mechanics, and it also applies to writing.
  
  Teaching, on the other hand, is all about technique. The content has already been created for you.
  
  The druggie's adventure and the writing is still crap.
  
  

  Quote from Cucurbita;514126:

  Or you know, we could just all save our health, money, and time by staying clean.

  
  ^
• Marie wrote on 2011-07-16 06:53
  I did pick up some stuff on color combination and whatnot in photography class (that I had to memorize but have long forgotton by now...).
  
  However, I did not study art intensively by any means so I can only base my reply on what you have said.
  
  

  Starry Night isn't famous for the painting technique used by Van Gogh, because it's really nothing special when compared to other paintings in this regard. Rather, it's about the artist's state of mind and the interpretation of the painiting, with technique being employed to convey that. This is not my opinion--this is fact.

  
  
  Our needle-happy writer's "work" is being appreciated by me (and several others) because it was "about the artist's state of mind and the interpretation...with [writing] technique being employed to convey that."
  
  I'm finding it really difficult to separate technique and art by your description also...if Van Gogh did not employ a special artistic technique, then he is using existing techniques (could also be applied to writing) in order to describe his fascination with the night and struggle with religion (just quickly googled that). Same as the druggie using existing writing techniques in order to describe his state of being/experience...
  
  I think I'm going to sleep on that @.@
• Phunkie wrote on 2011-07-16 07:02
  I enjoyed the vivid imagery provided by his description, even if I hate the drug heroin.
  
  It doesn't make me wanna try it. It doesn't make it wanna hate it more. I just took it for what it was: a beautiful description of something I'm honestly against.
• Sumpfkraut wrote on 2011-07-16 11:26

  Quote from Yoorah;513708:

  Everyone knows drugs are bad

  
  I'm rather with Leary and Huxley on this one.
• Cynic wrote on 2011-07-16 20:09
  Just a question for those who scold drug use; assuming he doesn't have a legit reason for it, have you guys ever had enough stress/drama/whatever in your life to consider doing something drastic?
  
  Just sayin'.
  I hate drug abuse as much as the next person, but I do sympathize if they have a good enough reason for doing it.
• Wasbewwi wrote on 2011-07-17 10:28
  Drugs are everywhere.
  
  If people tell you not to, the drugs will find a way to get to you.
  
  Either by harm or by curiosity.
  
  I'm sure i'll die knowing I refused to take drugs from people.
• Mama wrote on 2011-07-17 17:52

  Quote from Cynic;514725:

  Just a question for those who scold drug use; assuming he doesn't have a legit reason for it, have you guys ever had enough stress/drama/whatever in your life to consider doing something drastic?
  
  Just sayin'.
  I hate drug abuse as much as the next person, but I do sympathize if they have a good enough reason for doing it.

  
  if we're talking about hard drugs like cocaine, they never make the situation better e.e AND they're expensive!
  I have absolutely no idea what kind of suicidal scenario that could be made better with with an addiction to substances that ruins more lives than anything else.
  
  if we're talking about drugs with no addictive qualities on the other hand..
• Cynic wrote on 2011-07-17 21:29

  Quote from Mama;515795:

  if we're talking about hard drugs like cocaine, they never make the situation better e.e AND they're expensive!
  I have absolutely no idea what kind of suicidal scenario that could be made better with with an addiction to substances that ruins more lives than anything else.
  
  if we're talking about drugs with no addictive qualities on the other hand..

  
  
  People who even bother with those kinds of drugs usually got into it from a friend or other outside influences. I can't recall many people with depression who suddenly said "Oh, I think I'm going to try this or this". Those people then tend to get addicted to it and find the feeling it gives distracts from whatever problems them might have, and so on.
  
  Things like cutting, alcohol and weed are more common among those who purposely seek a "fix" for their issues, though. yeah. xD