the explanation.
Why would I aspire to my Lord Cromwell? Well, for one, he was a brilliant strategist and administrator, a loyal heart, and a highly spiritual man who took the time to understand the world around him, and impact it as he could.
He made one fatal mistake. He overstepped the King.
Not for the reasons he was murdered, surely he counseled the king with as much love as he always had when he pushed for the marriage to Anne of Cleaves…. for political reasons, to bolster the advantage of his Majesty’s kingdom.
That it didn’t turn out that way, no one but God himself (or any astute observer) could have foretold.
Thomas Cromwell is a hero of mine because of his accomplishments and aspirations, and serves as a reminder to me of the dangers of overstepping ones station.
*****
The art of captivating an audience is a tricky one. Audiences are fickle, but committed creatures… once they are yours they will devote themselves entirely… until you change something (which always happens, otherwise your work becomes stale). Then, they consider themselves tested.
Testing an audience is a difficult manoeuvre for any artist to undertake, it takes your work out of the darkness of the forge, and into the light of day. You are bested.
It is also the only way to give our creations life.
How we proceed after these tests are carried out is the testament of who we are, and what our work is.
I have come to the realization that while my audience is not large, it is engaged. I have managed to accomplish what I set out to do… cultivate an audience that has a stake in the outcome of my story.
You can’t buy that kind of ROI in any media…. for ANY amount of money.