This is a great subject to take on Michael. I’m convinced that art’s value in society is very much under appreciated. One issue is that the public hear about the stars and their riches and ignore the vast majority of artists struggling to feed the village. The contribution of all us non-stars has real value. I’m at the end of my career and still struggling to be valued emotionally and financially for my art. I have recently published a prize winning book that seems to have little chance of ever paying for itself. I encourage all to continue to work at your passion. Your newsletter can be a great resource and inspiration. Thanks Michael!
Thank you for this note, Steve! I agree with you. The same person who authored the quote at the end of this post wrote, “Though certain scientists win the Nobel Prize and get famous, all scientists know they are standing on the shoulders of thousands of researchers all over the world who have been asking questions. And while some artists will get the fancy awards (and maybe even get on TV), we know they are standing on the shoulders of thousands of artists who have been doing artistic research for decades.”
All that’s to say— when we conduct artistic experiments, we can’t know the results. And I don’t think it’s worth creating work expecting any results. To extend the scientific metaphor, that would be like bending an experiment to fit a hypothesis, rather than rigorously testing the hypothesis. Finding joy in the passion and the process is the work, and we can work with the knowledge that we’re contributing to something greater.
And, I know I’ve said it to you before, but congratulations on Aunty Jane. It’s a beautifully written, beautifully pictured story, with so much to teach.
Thanks Michael. I’m excited to see where this goes. Thanks for the nod to Aunty Jane. I’m still liking it too. It got me onto a podcast. I’ll let you know when it’s posted. BTW I tried to pledge support. It wouldn’t accept my Canadian postal code. Some do some don’t
This is a great subject to take on Michael. I’m convinced that art’s value in society is very much under appreciated. One issue is that the public hear about the stars and their riches and ignore the vast majority of artists struggling to feed the village. The contribution of all us non-stars has real value. I’m at the end of my career and still struggling to be valued emotionally and financially for my art. I have recently published a prize winning book that seems to have little chance of ever paying for itself. I encourage all to continue to work at your passion. Your newsletter can be a great resource and inspiration. Thanks Michael!
Thank you for this note, Steve! I agree with you. The same person who authored the quote at the end of this post wrote, “Though certain scientists win the Nobel Prize and get famous, all scientists know they are standing on the shoulders of thousands of researchers all over the world who have been asking questions. And while some artists will get the fancy awards (and maybe even get on TV), we know they are standing on the shoulders of thousands of artists who have been doing artistic research for decades.”
All that’s to say— when we conduct artistic experiments, we can’t know the results. And I don’t think it’s worth creating work expecting any results. To extend the scientific metaphor, that would be like bending an experiment to fit a hypothesis, rather than rigorously testing the hypothesis. Finding joy in the passion and the process is the work, and we can work with the knowledge that we’re contributing to something greater.
And, I know I’ve said it to you before, but congratulations on Aunty Jane. It’s a beautifully written, beautifully pictured story, with so much to teach.
Thanks Michael. I’m excited to see where this goes. Thanks for the nod to Aunty Jane. I’m still liking it too. It got me onto a podcast. I’ll let you know when it’s posted. BTW I tried to pledge support. It wouldn’t accept my Canadian postal code. Some do some don’t