Saturday, April 14, 2001

On the subject of that “White Reflection” video. It occurred to me that, for some odd reason, I feel a kinship with Two-Mix (the band) after watching that video. Why?

I think it’s because of the nature of the video. In it, anime-ized versions of the members of Two-Mix see a glowing ball of light, and follow it across the U.S. As they travel from town to town, they are shown writing the song “White Reflection.”

I feel like I’ve shared that experience with them, like I know what they’ve been through. Which, on the face of it, is silly; the actual members of the band never saw a glowing ball of light, and they never followed it across the U.S. I know this, intellectually. But I still feel like I’ve been given a glimpse into an experience.

The lesson? In art, we’re often told to “give of ourselves.” We tend to interpret this in an extreme, that we should impart some deep, painful part of our soul. I think the “White Reflection” video shows that this doesn’t need to be the case. One can affect people strongly by providing them with a personal experience, even if that experience is not deeply personal.