The Function of the Majority of Your Art
“The function of the overwhelming majority of your artwork is simply to teach you how to make the small fraction of your artwork that soars.”
This is from a book about making art. I don’t know who these authors are but they really nailed something for me.
I’ll only make a few pieces of truly good stuff over the course of my life.
That’s the reality.
I could break my head over trying to epic-ize everything I make. I could reach for celebrity and recognition through lots of truly great things, getting broody, moody and horribly not fun in the process.
Or I can make this thing the best I can right now. It’s not me. I’m not it. There’s some sort of exchange going on between me and it, but neither of us are each other. So let’s keep it casual.
Because any sane person knows that the best you can do right now is the best you can do right now.
This is embarrassing to admit, but when I read this I first thought about my tweets.
Before pushing “publish” on a tweet I typically have a moment of, “c’mon. Nobody cares about this. This isn’t funny. Make something funny and post that. Is this the kind of thing Merlin would post?”
But I’ve been wondering recently if I won’t look back and wish I shared more. If 20 years from now I’ll read through the archives and wished I just tried more stuff.
This quote hits me with reality, balances me. I might make a few good tweets over the course of my life. The shitty ones will help me get there.
I mean, these are fucking tweets we’re talking about.
Oh, and art. We’re also talking about art. Which is kinda like business to me. So that too.
