"The Realms of the Unreal" is a mind blowing documentary about a janitor who wrote a 15,000 page illustrated fantasy novel

Think Daniel Johnston meets J.R.R. Tolkien

Henry Darger was a janitor in Chicago who wrote a 15,000 page fantasy novel which includes 300 paintings and multimedia illustrations— some of which are 12 foot long— as well as a memoir and thousands more pages of journals.

Think Daniel Johnston meets J.R.R. Tolkien.

He never shared any of it with anyone. It was all found by his few friends and neighbors in the days before his death. He did it all for one singular purpose: for the love of creation. It’s the most pure experience in the world for an artist.

In my art, I strive to be free of ego and expectations. I want to create art just for myself, but eventually I always share it with the world and hold my breath for their approval.

But not Henry Darger. He didn’t give a fuck what you think about his art. He was too busy being prolific.

We all go to the altar of creation and make a sacrifice— mostly in time but also in relationships, mental health, hygiene— and 99.99% of us expect the muse to repay our sacrifice. We want fame, wealth, and admiration for our efforts.

But not Henry Darger. He gave with no expectation of return. He was a truly loyal servant to the muse. He told his story as fast as it came to him and never slowed down.

In total, when he died, Henry Darger left behind:

• 30,000 pages of written text

• 300 paintings

• 3 photographs that exist of him.

I don’t think a person like Henry Darger could ever exist again. It’s such a spectacular and tragic thing that he managed to download so much of his imagination to paper before his death.

“The Realms of the Unreal” is a great watch. It’s visually beautiful and a brilliant story. It’s a little disturbing and a little touching. Henry Darger was one of a kind but there’s also a little of him in all of us.

Have you seen “The Realms Of The Unreal?”

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