Do you agree with Picasso? What about Baudelaire?
You must always be intoxicated.
That sums it all up: it’s the only question. In order not to feel the horrible burden of Time which breaks your back and bends you down to earth, you must be unremittingly intoxicated.
But on what? wine, poetry, virtue, as you please. But never be sober.
—Charles-Pierre Baudelaire
Do you think Picasso and Baudelaire are saying the same thing? What keeps you young? What intoxicates you? Do you think we should be intoxicated all of the time? Never?
“Alcoholism is a search for a common language, or at least, it is a compensation for a language that has been lost. The use of drugs does not imply the overestimation of the value of language but of silence. Drunkenness exaggerates communication; drugs destroy it. Young people’s preference for drugs reveals a change in the contemporary attitude toward language and communication. The first to see the differences between drugs and wine was Baudelaire: “Wine exalts the will; hashish destroys it. Wine is a physical stimulant; hashish a suicidal weapon. Wine mellows us and makes us sociable; hashish isolates us.” Wine is social, drugs solitary; the one inflames the senses, the other rouses the imagination.”
I don’t want to be intoxicated. I want to learn to be young again.
bikehikebabe,
What do you think Baudelaire meant by being intoxicated on poetry or virtue? Have you never been intoxicated by enthusiasm?
Well yes I’ve been intoxicated by seeing Opera, that I knew by heart from my mother’s old 78 records.
I think they are saying something quite different. A quiet contemplation and absorption was part of my childhood at least, which feels different to what Baudelaire was saying for me.
bikehikebabe,
So how do you feel about being intoxicated by opera? Do you think it enhances your life? In moderation, of course.
Evan,
Were you ever intoxicated by joy when you were young? I personally like a balance between heady joy and quiet contemplation. I assume you’ve arranged your life so you can have plenty of contemplation/absorption now?
Jean, what an excellent question. At risk of sounding twee, saccharine: I feel intoxicated by life, period. Always have. A boundless enthusiasm for what life holds. Good or bad. The smallest detail will be of interest to me. One of the reasons why I am not looking forward to death.
Oddly, knowing how fond you are of dogs, I recently have started seeing myself as one of those energetic puppies always pulling at the leash in pursuit of yet another unknown smell, jumping up at people, so excited by life as it unfolds down the road. A puppy which, taken for a walk by you, Jean, even you’d have difficulty to teach a few rules of how to behave in a moderate way in polite company. No wonder puppies become grown dogs with that sorrowful look in their eyes. Must send you likeness of Boris my great grand aunt, a portrait painter, did (Pastel).
Yes, those two quotes: Thought Picasso said something along the lines that what a pity – once we grow up – a lot of us forget how to play. Being creative being nothing but play. To dance like Zorbas is play. Wine is a comfort blanket employed by some creatives and a lot of not so creatives to soften the sharp edges of life. I believe modern psycho babble calls it “self medication”. So yes, Baudelaire was right. As, oddly, BHB is in what she wrote to you in reply.
Anais Nin: She is a fine one to talk. And I can only speak from a dim memory here since I never took to the woman. In fact, I detested her, probably still do – not that I’ll give her another chance by rereading her. As I do dislike Henry Miller. Her opium was that of boundless promiscuity with few redeeming features. Please don’t hold me to this since I can only speak from an impression I formed four decades ago.
U
Not so much when young. Lots more joy in my life now.
At the moment it’s probably more contemplation.
There is a great deal of innocence in the young and without exception, the young create, without the baggage that growing up loads them with. I think that this is what Picasso means, in the context. In the latter case, the intoxication that he talks about is perhaps the spiritual dimension that all mystics have talked about. It is like the alcoholic who says that he never suffers from a hangover because he is always drunk.
Ursula,
A big part of me is still an exuberant puppy. No sorrowful eyes here. I mostly spend my time playing and avoid wet-blanket adults. 😀
Evan,
I had some times of great joy as a child, also times where I was depressed. I decided I liked the joy better and would figure out how to get it. It’s a great hobby.
rummuser,
For me becoming old enough to make choices for myself was liberating. I refused to grow up so haven’t been burdened with baggage. I’m basically lazy, so the idea of carrying heavy loads just didn’t appeal. 😉
Picasso was referring to his art as I recall. Maybe I’ve got it wrong.
It reminds me of Desmond Morris and his “Work Is the failure of play” for some reason:
Work is the failure of play. Human beings have extended playfulness into adulthood, calling it art, science, philosophy, literature and so on. It’s such playfulness that has made us great. But if you get into a boring job that you hate, it can no longer be regarded as ‘play’ and is known as work. I’ve been very lucky and class my job as play. When I was young, my family wanted me to have a serious job, but I decided to rebel and became a zoologist, and I’ve had the good fortune to be able to make a living out of it.
http://www.cook8.net/plus/view.php?aid=1794
As for Baudelaire:Intoxication? Some music can intoxicate me and so can some relationships…. Chemical intoxication I have never sought willingly…. except naturally produced adrenalin I suppose. That from the intoxication of running and running across the fields or along the roads and through the forest. Alone, even when surrounded by a thousand others in a race, for there is only one person to beat at any time and that is oneself.
As for liberation: I suspect that, whenever it has beckoned, I have shunned it because of self doubt instilled so many years ago.
Magpie11,
I assumed the same as you about Picasso, that’s why I drew that picture. The Morris quote resonates too. Getting involved in creative problem solving, or any other project I can immerse myself in, gets me high. So does exercise. I remember cheerfully telling my daughter once that I was feeling so high I needed ankle weights. We were out at the time and she pointed out people would think I was on drugs. Nope, never tried them. Drank some in my college years but liquor can’t compare with natural highs.
Just clicked about getting high on virtue; My oldest friend is like that…it’s called “Getting Religion” or self satisfaction.
“Oh look at me. I’m a good boy/girl. And I’m doing it for God!”
I want to be naughty but my parents, school and the preists did a good job on me… 🙂 Chuckle!
Magpie,
I was mostly very good as a kid but now think a bit of harmless mischief once in a while is good for the soul. 🙂
sorry no reply this week – brain in overdrive both in study and out in leisure life…back real soon
Cathy,
Thank you for coming by at all!