I've had the growing impression, in recent years, that it has become thoroughly uncool to do your best.
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I've had the growing impression, in recent years, that it has become thoroughly uncool to do your best. Exceeding expectations is embarrassing, merely meeting them, even worthy of ridicule. I see it all the time. You're caught rehearsing, or journaling in public? how performative. It kept you up at night, did it? you poured sweat into it? such a try-hard.
But I don’t think this is new. It’s that ol' familiar cynicism, one we’ve cycled through before. It usually precedes a moment when people grow tired of poorly made things, and what is done carefully and thoughtfully can once again be appreciated without shame. I'm hopeful that we're about to emerge into a renaissance, and convinced that my friends who are doing their honest best are just avant-garde.
If despite it all, you keep going and try your best.
I'm here for it and thank you."So shall I join the choir invisible
Whose music is the gladness of the world." -
I've had the growing impression, in recent years, that it has become thoroughly uncool to do your best. Exceeding expectations is embarrassing, merely meeting them, even worthy of ridicule. I see it all the time. You're caught rehearsing, or journaling in public? how performative. It kept you up at night, did it? you poured sweat into it? such a try-hard.
But I don’t think this is new. It’s that ol' familiar cynicism, one we’ve cycled through before. It usually precedes a moment when people grow tired of poorly made things, and what is done carefully and thoughtfully can once again be appreciated without shame. I'm hopeful that we're about to emerge into a renaissance, and convinced that my friends who are doing their honest best are just avant-garde.
If despite it all, you keep going and try your best.
I'm here for it and thank you."So shall I join the choir invisible
Whose music is the gladness of the world."@neauoire that and also at the other end of it: being labeled arrogant, pretentious, or fake if you just happen to be skilled at or have knowledge about anything especially when there's no visible progression or effort
drew digital art without a time-lapse? AI. have art skills and think AI artists have no validity? gatekeeper, ablist, etc. etc. unfortunate enough to have a wide range of hobbies and interests? polymath wannabe.
it's like you're supposed to either do nothing or do what everyone else is doing (which is also uncool to do) and not stand out unless you meet the ever-shifting standards of what makes a celebrity
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@neauoire that and also at the other end of it: being labeled arrogant, pretentious, or fake if you just happen to be skilled at or have knowledge about anything especially when there's no visible progression or effort
drew digital art without a time-lapse? AI. have art skills and think AI artists have no validity? gatekeeper, ablist, etc. etc. unfortunate enough to have a wide range of hobbies and interests? polymath wannabe.
it's like you're supposed to either do nothing or do what everyone else is doing (which is also uncool to do) and not stand out unless you meet the ever-shifting standards of what makes a celebrity
@joshavanier I think context-collapse due to online dynamics does a lot of harm in this. You might appreciate this talk by Mason about how perceived "luck" actually looks like underneath.
https://gamesbymason.com/blog/2022/survivorship-bias/ -
@joshavanier I think context-collapse due to online dynamics does a lot of harm in this. You might appreciate this talk by Mason about how perceived "luck" actually looks like underneath.
https://gamesbymason.com/blog/2022/survivorship-bias/@neauoire ah in my case, it's not about the struggles of competing since I don't rely on art as a career at this time, but annoyance at the effects of the space for it (or society at large, I guess lol) has on me and not as an active participant but just the unfortunate consequence of being an artist.
I like making things and used to like sharing them to the public, but I don't like what that space has become over the years and the associations it brings. plenty of reasons, but ultimately they all kill the joys of having that identity. it happened with programming; I'm hoping it doesn't snuff out art as well but the "art needs other people" points from the talk has already started to lose meaning for me.
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@neauoire ah in my case, it's not about the struggles of competing since I don't rely on art as a career at this time, but annoyance at the effects of the space for it (or society at large, I guess lol) has on me and not as an active participant but just the unfortunate consequence of being an artist.
I like making things and used to like sharing them to the public, but I don't like what that space has become over the years and the associations it brings. plenty of reasons, but ultimately they all kill the joys of having that identity. it happened with programming; I'm hoping it doesn't snuff out art as well but the "art needs other people" points from the talk has already started to lose meaning for me.
@joshavanier one aspect of Mason's talk that I appreciate more than the aspects that related to competing for a market share, is that what looks like a "gifted" person from the outside, if you dig into it, reveals a ton of struggle and a lot of work done privately or at least out of the general public. That's why I thought it related to context collapse, not having the steps that lead to a piece might make someone think it's not genuine or a "gift from God.
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