My Criticism of Literary, Artistic and Musical Criticism
I read a mind shredding amount of literary critique and writing tips oriented blogs this week. I found most of them to be uninspired and in many cases, detrimental to artistic creation. It’s so funny that I found myself seeing the same things I’ve read from any form of criticism or artistic self-help - a bunch of useless opinionated elitism. There are some good ones out there, but aren’t easy to find.
It can be a daunting task to know the difference between solid, constructive criticism and bad advice. Sometimes, a solid critique can bring you to reality, and pop your bubble - so to speak. Just because someone has a college education, does not guarantee they can or will give a beneficial critique. An education does not mean they are a great writers themselves. I love to draw parallels to martial arts. If a person is a 9th degree black belt in Karate, does it mean they can actually fight? Absolutely not. I love the guys who have the words “Karate Master” written across the back of their uniforms. A real master would never have such things written on his uniform. Be careful picking a teacher in anything, especially on the Internet.
A critic is someone with an opinion, supposedly based on their knowledge of a subject, but is really based on what that person likes, or was taught to like. The first time I heard classical music, I liked it. I didn’t have a teacher explain why classical music is good, but I knew it was; I could hear the complexity, logic and wondrous beauty. In college, I studied music, and had a teacher try to shape or change my opinion by telling me why popular music, such as rock, was insignificant noise and deserved no recognition. The same is true of many literary teachers and critics. They will try to teach you how to have a cultured, sophisticated opinion, which is on a much higher level than that of a normal person. I changed my major because of it and taught myself.
I learned that most of my teachers had an extremely limited scope of artistic expression. If you are a stuffy, sophisticated and highly educated person who believes their conception of what is good is more valid than someone who isn’t, you are really just an arrogant human being who does more harm than good. It is very possible to be highly educated and still love B-grade horror flicks with no plot or love comic books.
You cannot tell someone what to like or what is good. I appreciate nearly all literature, but it is all different - much like movies are. The worst, most boring movie I have ever seen in my entire life was “The English Patient”, which won nine academy awards in 1997, including best picture. I understand why the film is supposed to be a masterpiece, but it is still uninspired and boring to me. Please, criticize me for saying that. Of course it is only my opinion - I don’t like long, boring movies.
If a musician studies music in college, let’s say, in classical guitar performance, that person will most likely end up an incredibly limited musician in the long run. I have a friend who has a master’s degree in that very curriculum, but can only play music that is written on paper. He cannot play other forms of music such as jazz, blues, funk, reggae or rock - and especially cannot freely improvise in every style. Some musicians play by ear, some play what is written. A real musician can do both.
Though I do not have a degree in music, he takes lessons from me and has for the last two years. I know how to read music and can perform many classical and baroque pieces, but that is just one tiny part of what I do. I see writing the same way.
What If Writers Were Like Classical Musicians
This is an interesting subject to contemplate. What if a writer said, “I can rewrite any Shakespeare work from start to finish. I can also recite it aloud, with expressive and dramatic passion…from memory.”
My answer is, “So what.”
It’s like saying you can repaint “The Mona Lisa” or can play Bach’s “Bourrée in E minor” on a piano. It does require skill and practice, but it isn’t art, it is imitation. It’s much like performing a complex classical piece from start to finish. The problem is, you didn’t create it. Performing something someone else wrote is not a matter of talent, but a matter of drive, perseverance and natural physical or mental ability. To write your own music is where the art is. Many writers do similar things. Some writers love the works of Jane Austen and can write in a similar voice and structure. Some authors have based their entire careers on trying to be her, instead of finding their own voice and style. Some of them have even become famous doing just that!
The point is, no one artist, author, poet, computer programmer or blogger is any more valid than any other - it depends on what you like. I have every bit as sophisticated perception as anyone else, but I also love popular literature, music and art; as well as obscure, unusual music and so forth. I love music such as underground death metal as well as Bach or John Coltrane. Famous classical guitarist Andres Segovia said that electric guitar and rock music was painful to his ears and disgusting to hear. Compare a modern guitar master like Joe Satriani or Stevie Ray Vaughn to Andres Segovia. Who is better? They are all good. One thing is for sure, Stevie Ray Vaughn would decimate Andres in a live blues Jam!
Everything is Valid and Relevant
All art, literature and music is valid and none should be put on a pedestal and thought of as more important than another. Guitarist Joe Satriani by comparison has vastly more knowledge of music than Segovia ever did, but because he plays rock, will never be held in as high regard. It is purely genre bias.
Classical martial arts are much like other classical art forms. They are rigid, traditional, inflexible and limited. Famous martial arts pioneer Bruce Lee said it was this “classical mess” that limited all forms of artistic expression. Bruce took bits of boxing, kung fu, karate, savate, fencing, kali, escrima, his own ideas and made up his own art; thus shattering all preconceived notions, completely revolutionizing martial arts. He proved how ineffective many of these arts actually were and insulted many masters from across the world. If you write, paint, play music or whatever; I highly recommend you read Bruce Lee’s masterpiece, The Tao of Jeet Kune Do. It is one of the finest books on artistic expression ever written. This is a book written for all artists and I still read from it quite regularly. It’s amazing how beneficial Lee’s work can be to a writer. He can help you smash all limits and take yourself beyond anything you may have previously believed.
The Ego Must Be Destroyed
Criticism has more to do with ego and respect than it does in helping a person reach their goals. Don’t ever let someone’s negative criticism affect you. Rise above it and be yourself. If you take too much advice from people, it will only hinder your progress and keep you from fully realizing your dreams. My dream is to write, and no criticism will ever keep me from being successful. I do listen with an open mind, but only accept it if it is truly constructive and beneficial. I believe that morbid tales of terror are every bit as valid as anything Shakespeare ever wrote. If you compare yourself to other people, thinking “they’re better than me” or “I’m better than them”, then you have an ego problem. The ego is the greatest single hindrance to all forms of artistic expression. Just because you’re famous or successful doesn’t mean you’re good, it just means you’re famous and successful - but that’s another subject for another time.
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we have only to look around us.. the same attitude pervades every avenue of life.. there is always someone that wants to make the rules take control oversee…
it makes me think of the well worn adage: Those that can - do: those that can’t - teach.
i know you are a teacher and you know i mean no disrespect to teachers,,, but many an expensive degree has ended up with someone that understands well the theory,, and cannot put a damn thing into practical use.. those are the “teachers” to whom i refer…
in my humble opinion,, there are no rules.. there are styles and forms and examples… but where would we be if that was all there was… in a sad sad place creatively i fear….
let them i say, “have at it”,,,. i will steer clear,, the blogsphere,, much like the world is much to large to allow myself to be buttonholed by a few frustrated theorists……….
paisley’s last blog post..fortune cookie
A really good teacher is one who can do as well as teach. I have thought about a degree in creative writing, but the idea that I will be lucky to have one good teacher is quite disturbing. In martial arts, I have met but a few good instructors out of hundreds that I’ve met in my life.
To become a published, professional writer can change a writer and kill their imagination and spirit. Every publisher has their own ideas of what is acceptable and what isn’t. The truth is, many of them have bad taste. I will write what I like to write and never let someone kill my dreams and change my perception of what I enjoy.
That’s right Paisley - there are no rules and when you start following them, you become something you’re not! Thanks so much
I agree that criticize has run rampant. Most of the time the criticizer does it to make themselves seem more knowledgeable. Your comparison about someone learning how to play a song to a replica painting was clever. I agree that no credit should be lost by the songwriter just because someone can successfully imitate it.
I am an opinionated cuss, and I could learn a lot from this more open approach to all art forms. Thanks for the food for thought!
One more thing your post reminded me of, and I’d like to share it. My dad always says that people make up their minds and THEN gather evidence to support their opinion, rather than taking the opposite, less biased approach. The older I get, the more I see that this, sadly, is true.
I was just talking with a friend about how sometimes it’s ok to be selfish with your writing - it doesn’t have to get published. The joy is that it’s YOUR expression.
Anyway, thank you for a beautiful post, Revellian. I avoid criticism unless it’s from a writer I really respect. But the peanut gallery critics are shallow at best, projecting at worst. What did it for me was when a professor who’d never been published kept trying to get me to change my voice and style, because I was “breaking rules”. I just couldn’t respect her opinion because she didn’t have the intelligence or experience to get anything different from what she herself was limited by. The challenge - and joy - of being a writer is that you trust your own voice.
What wise and encouraging words. I too think that different types of art are all worthwhile and valuable. Still, I probably am only going to actually enjoy certain ones. Each of us is narrow minded in what we like. Also, I’ve worried a lot over the type of influence professors and teachers have over young artistic minds. I don’t know if they realize how powerful they can be and it scares me sometimes that young people may just believe everything they are “taught,” from a particular professor’s political views to their own self-worth. You seemed to put it a lot better than I did.
Oh, and I hope your book of horror will be available soon because I would love to get a copy.
teeni’s last blog post..The Entertainment Meme
I used to review comics for a magazine and I always put a positive spin on things. I mean there has to be some good in every artistic endeavor, right?
The thing is, that one day you’ll see something that makes you think, nah, that has NO merit whatsoever. It’s usually something dumb and offensive, but it exists.
As for taking criticism… I’d like to think that I didn’t get defensive, but that’s not how I am. I always like to confront my critics they often find it far easier to criticize from afar and when you get up close you can usually see it is their problem, not yours.
Adam_Y’s last blog post..Highly Recommended
Hi Mike, while we can and should be influenced by others in any art, the most important idea is to create and be ourselves
A very interesting comment Margo! Your dad’s saying, “People make up their minds and THEN gather evidence to support their opinion, rather than taking the opposite, less biased approach,” is brilliant. All of us do that. We may look at a blog and think, “This is useless drivel,” or something, but we shouldn’t think that at all. Maybe it is, but it is the ego saying that, not to mention that it’s rude. I thought about religion too. A friend of mine recently became a hardcore, fundamentalist Christian. He had never read the bible before last month. He chose to believe something first, and then to learn what it was he chose to believe. He told me that I was going to hell after I die, unless I was saved by Jesus at his church (because other churches were blasphemous). I didn’t know what to say
Hello M, It is definitely an art in itself to get published without compromising the essence of your work. Then again, there are people who are just terrible writers; however, writing is different from something like singing. We see people who have terrible voices try out for a show like American Idol. Their families and friends tell them they are good, but they are not. A singing voice is something a person is born with. They can develop correct pitch, but still have bad tone. Writing is something anyone can develop and get good at. I don’t believe so much in talent. I believe that talent is 10% natural ability and 90% developed skill
I believe that it was my bad professors who actually helped me the most, because I naturally rebelled against what they told me. That’s the reason my blog is named Revellian and not Revell. Revell is the name of a plastic model corporation. Revellian rhymes with rebellion - I like that…hahaha! We like what we like, and it is those differences that make life so wondrous and beautiful. Sometimes, a little positive support can transform an unsure writer into a great one. Self-confidence can work wonders on people. That’s where a tempered ego can and must be implemented to keep us from becoming egotistical. Thanks Teeni
Hi Adam! I joined a website community called Urbis while back that is dedicated to the criticism of writing. The people there are often extremely rude and negative, out to prove why you should give up. After a few weeks of negativity, I quit using the site because it was killing my spirit. There is some garbage out there, but it’s not my place to judge and degrade them…it makes me feel bad to do that.