Maybe if you write enough things that are personally meaningful to you, without worrying about whether or not they might be meaningful to someone else, occasionally you will happen to write something that you do consider ground-breaking and great art.
Thank you! I think I do that in this journal. But then, I don't really get writing blocks about non-fiction writing. I guess it doesn't feel as risky, somehow. I find fiction incredibly hard to write. And it's ironic, because I wrote fiction all the time as a child and a teenager. I wasn't very critical of myself back then, though, and I didn't think that what I was writing about was unworthy
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You know how people say, "It's not what you say that makes good art, it's how you say it"? I disagree. I think that what an artist has to say is the most important part of what makes their art good or not. Not every subject or statement is art-worthy.
I think it can work either way.
On the one hand, if a person says something really new about an important subject, that makes a big impression.
On the other hand, if a person says something - either about a standard subject that's frequently a cliche, or about something that most people think is trivial and not worth talking about - and manages to say it in a really fresh or unusual way, that also makes a big impression.
An example of the latter, for me, is Joy Nash's Fat Rant: Confessions of the Compulsive. She doesn't bring up anything I didn't already know, but she does it in a way that I haven't seen done before, and I love
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On the one hand, if a person says something really new about an important subject, that makes a big impression.
On the other hand, if a person says something - either about a standard subject that's frequently a cliche, or about something that most people think is trivial and not worth talking about - and manages to say it in a really fresh or unusual way, that also makes a big impression.
Well, that's a good point. I've certainly read book and movie reviews where the reviewer says, "The subject matter is as old as the hills, but the [artist] approaches it in a new (or interesting, compelling, delightful, etc) way."
Not that any of this helps your feeling like writing isn't worth it. :-( It sounds like you don't want to write unless your writing will be admired by everyone. I have a similar problem.Hmm. I wouldn't say I need my writing to be admired by everyone. I would want it to be admired by people whose intelligence and ability to appreciate art are at a level I respect. That could be a small number of people, but if the kind
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I would want it to be admired by people whose intelligence and ability to appreciate art are at a level I respect. That could be a small number of people, but if the kind of praise I got was something I really valued, I would be happy with it.
I know this sounds snobby.
I don't think it's snobby to want your writing to be admired by people you think are intelligent and appreciative. I think most people who create stuff want that.
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I think it can work either way.
On the one hand, if a person says something really new about an important subject, that makes a big impression.
On the other hand, if a person says something - either about a standard subject that's frequently a cliche, or about something that most people think is trivial and not worth talking about - and manages to say it in a really fresh or unusual way, that also makes a big impression.
An example of the latter, for me, is Joy Nash's Fat Rant: Confessions of the Compulsive. She doesn't bring up anything I didn't already know, but she does it in a way that I haven't seen done before, and I love ( ... )
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On the other hand, if a person says something - either about a standard subject that's frequently a cliche, or about something that most people think is trivial and not worth talking about - and manages to say it in a really fresh or unusual way, that also makes a big impression.
Well, that's a good point. I've certainly read book and movie reviews where the reviewer says, "The subject matter is as old as the hills, but the [artist] approaches it in a new (or interesting, compelling, delightful, etc) way."
Not that any of this helps your feeling like writing isn't worth it. :-( It sounds like you don't want to write unless your writing will be admired by everyone. I have a similar problem.Hmm. I wouldn't say I need my writing to be admired by everyone. I would want it to be admired by people whose intelligence and ability to appreciate art are at a level I respect. That could be a small number of people, but if the kind ( ... )
Reply
I know this sounds snobby.
I don't think it's snobby to want your writing to be admired by people you think are intelligent and appreciative. I think most people who create stuff want that.
Reply
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