moledro – n. a feeling of resonant connection with an author or artist you’ll never meet, who many have lived centuries ago and thousands of miles away but can still get inside your head and leave behind morsels of their experience, like the little piles of stones left by hikers to mark a hidden path through unfamiliar territory.
Moledro is something I get mostly from music. I’m less interested or thoughtful about most visual arts, though perhaps media counts. In any case, the poetry of some artists creates a connection with me that sticks with me.
A few examples:
- lately, Zach Bryan. his poems and songs connect with a younger version of my, full of hope, heartbreak, and silly youthful decisions.
- Bob Dylan, wanting a better world, and living a life that he enjoys.
- Prince, a man truly wanting to entertain and make music, but his own way. In many ways, we’re very different in how we approach life, but I feel this connection with someone that live his life as his career.
- Steven King – I wish I could write like him, or have the drive to do so, but I love his activism and opinions.
There are likely many more, but these stand out to me.
From the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows