Clintavo's Personal Essay on Rediscovering Artistic Magic
Clintavo, writing on his newsletter The Universal Riddle, reflects on the loss and rediscovery of childhood imagination and creativity. Growing up in northwest Arkansas in the 1970s, he spent his youth exploring the Ozark forest, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and creating his own worlds through writing and programming. He contrasts this with the pressures of adulthood—school, conformity, and selling chocolate bars for fundraisers—which suppressed his sense of wonder. After a career in software development, he has returned to writing and creating art, arguing that magic and creativity are not forgotten but suppressed, and that artists can reclaim them. The essay includes references to Supertramp's 'The Logical Song', C.S. Lewis's dedication in 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe', and his forthcoming book 'The Sovereign Artist'. The piece is published on the BoldBrush newsletter and promotes FASO, a website hosting company for artists.
Key facts
- Clintavo grew up in northwest Arkansas in the 1970s.
- He played Dungeons and Dragons and created his own campaigns.
- He learned programming to create text adventure games like Zork.
- He worked in software development for much of his career.
- He now writes the newsletter The Universal Riddle.
- He is publishing a book titled The Sovereign Artist.
- The essay references Supertramp's 'The Logical Song'.
- The piece appears on the BoldBrush newsletter and promotes FASO.
Entities
Artists
- Clintavo
- Beverly Caputo
- Evgeni Gordiets
- Kai Lun Qu
- Tammi Vaughan
- Kristin Eisenbraun
- C.S. Lewis
- Lucy Barfield
Institutions
- FASO
- BoldBrush
- The Universal Riddle
- TSR
Locations
- northwest Arkansas
- Ozark forest