Thursday, December 1, 2005
Getting credit, or not
DevraDoWrite muses today, as she has before, about musicians who try to shine so much that they end up detracting from the music. She believes "the greatest performers are those who understand that it is about the music, not the musician. Somehow, with that understanding and attendant devotion to the music itself, they actually become better artists." I agree with her entirely about music and musicians - although it's a mystery how that works. It's also true of most creative endeavors, don't you think? Even writing, even though the words come from oneself. There is an element of conduit or messenger even when writing what feels like something original. I remember the first time I really wrote a piece of fiction, when I re-read my pages, it was weird because it seemed to be the first time I'd seen those words and read that story. Scary but exhilarating. I've heard painters say the same thing. One must somehow learn to put ego aside. But, as DDW points out:
The catch, of course, is that as human beings we crave recognition and applause - knowing within yourself that you did the right thing or created something wonderful is just not the same as hearing the accolades. Somewhere there must be a happy balance, and searching for that 'somewhere', trying to find that balance, is part of the artist's journey.I think this pinpoints what I dislike (and like) about some writers, musicians, singers, and painters. I realize it's an incredible difficult balance and very hard to achieve, but a satisfying and potentially gratifying quest.
Labels: blogs (others'), writing
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