The Network of Art

I have some things to say about art.

Why do we think of it the way we do?

This is going to be very rambling, probably. Ah, well. This is what it is to be an eccentric writer. I've just awoken from a brief nap after a very strange day. Mark Twain would be disappointed in how many times I'm using the word "very." The alternative is swearing, though.

I don't think I'll edit this other than for grammar and spelling.

Anyway.

The first thing I'd like to say is that I'd like to say once and for all that art is hard work, and I'd like for people to stop complimenting artists on their talent, as though when we complete some kind of piece it was because of some inherent ability that we have no say in. While each person's ability to create art is a talent, talent is more of a muscle than some magical ability. At this moment, I haven't written much lately, which is why this is the way it is. Gertrude Stein would be proud of me (I think).

I've talked to others about receiving congratulations for their talents, and it is a shared feeling that it feels almost degrading. Talent is something you can't control, while hard work and skill are something you can. Why would we praise someone at all for something they were born with that they have no control over? It doesn't make any sense. None at all.

This brings me (I think; I don't know if any of my thoughts are connected right now) to my next point, which is that we treat talent with god-like status, resulting in jealousy or self-degradation. I can't count how many times I've heard someone say, "oh, I wish I could do that," referring to a talent which isn't theirs. Why would you wish you could do that other thing? You can do your thing! I know some people think they don't have a thing, but I can assure you, everyone does. I can recall once when I was talking to a young man I was acquainted with who was a mind-blowingly talented actor, and I told him I'm a writer. He told me he thought that was admirable, while at the same time degrading his own gift for acting, and I thought that was a very strange thing to say. No talent is "admirable" unless it is used for good, for the entertainment or enlightenment of others. That young man was simply breathtaking onstage, yet he thought his gift lesser than mine.

When you compliment an artist by putting yourself down, it does NOT make that person feel good. There's a movement in society these days to teach people how to accept a compliment, but few people talk about how to actually give one. In the same way that you should not put yourself down when someone gives you a compliment, you should not put yourself down when giving one to someone else. It never makes someone else feel good about themselves to hear you degrade yourself. So stop.

Comparison among artists is RAMPANT, and I am TIRED of it. I think over the next few days I'm going to post on Instagram about some artists I know just to support them. I know some very talented artists who are incredibly hard-working, and who deserve recognition for their work.

Don’t WISH you could do that other thing. Be thankful for what you can do, and be thankful for that other thing that other person can do. It is just as useful to you as your own ability. I am inspired by music and paintings very much when I write, so if you are one who creates music or paintings, you are helping me create what I like to create. We need to stop thinking of art and talent as "Look what he did. Look what she can do." We are a NETWORK.

This has been a rant. I hope I don't scrap it tomorrow morning after I have a full night's rest rather than just a mac-and-cheese-induced nap.

Q: "Do you indulge in any form of worship?"

A: "Life. I love life... very much, indeed."

~ Excerpt from David Bowie on Russell Harty, 1973