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.

Tags: classical, detachment, guitar, literature, writing