Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts

Monday, April 9, 2012

The Artistic Product

Desire, Appeal, Demand, Art....

In any creative venture there is an element conceptual fulfillment and appeal. Often many choose to define their works as an art. These concepts demonstrate a defined expression and communicate emotion through specific aesthetic criteria, in short works that are of more than ordinary significance.

There are many different mediums that can be termed art, ranging from the standards of painting and sculpture to writing and even film or gaming. The ideal of conveying a concept through a medium in such a way as to be desirable is a fundamental motive for many artists. Through practice, refinement of technique and expression a work can be viewed as art.

While any work can be viewed as a work of art it is undeniably the aesthetic criteria that permits the work to be classified and termed "a work of art" within the medium. The aesthetics of a piece, while entirely subjective, are often representative of the 'high-concepts' that determine the appeal of the piece.

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As with any creative work, the determination of appeal is quite subjective however the broader the appeal the more accepted the piece is overall.

It is the appeal of a piece that many artists seek so that the work is broadly accepted as a work of art without dispute. Many artists are willing to sacrifice for the sake of their work, barely making a living while trying to find 'mainstream success' in their desired field. These Starving Artists epitomize the concept of an artist and are entirely dependent on the demand for their work.

Starving Artists and demand are where a couple of misconceptions enter.

Many writers/artists that are new to the industry often claim that their work is art as a defense to changing their work. As previously discussed, there are components to this that determine viability of their claim and then there is the misconception about the 'Best Seller' author.

The Best Seller author may have made their way into the best selling ranks but it does not mean that they have left 'Starving Artist' status. Most authors work other more permanent jobs because it often takes more than six published works and at least 2 'best sellers' before they can even consider focusing on being an author as their career.

In reality, an artist creates a work that they hope has enough appeal to drive the demand for their work including future works. Successful artists can convey their work with broad appeal but still remain truthful to their original concepts so that it is a work of art. Even starving artists who have sacrificed for their art dream of 'breaking into the business' and having their work desired. This desire effectively makes the work of art a product.

Products rely on marketability to determine success and even art needs an audience to claim success. In the writing industry success is measured in more facets than stars in the sky but claiming a work is art is not a defense against change, it only means that you'll be left by the roadside in an industry of unique artistic products.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Inexhaustible Aspirations

Regardless of the medium, everyone has long-term aspirations, dreams that they either consciously or subconsciously desire to attain. Aspirations are as varied as the individuals that have them. An artist may dream of having their work in a gallery exhibit, a writer may dream of publication and certainly there are those who dream of a stable home or the 'Epic Love.'

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Every aspiration can be very telling about the individual but these are more than simple aspirations to individual, these demonstrate motivations. When an artist is asked why they want their own gallery exhibit they may recount that it is because it symbolizes that they've 'made it' or any number of superficial reasoning but it is very likely that the individual does not even recognize the subconscious motivations that are driving them towards the aspiration.

A writer may aspire for publication or even acclaim for their work ranging from community praise to the Pulitzer. However, like the artist there are subconscious motivations that are responsible for driving the individual towards these aspirations.

More emotional aspirations like a consistently stable home or finding 'Epic Love' not only are subject to the subconscious motivations to the emotional states associated with these aspirations. Individuals aspiring of a stable home may be under constant duress, anxiety because their current status is the opposite of their aspiration. The 'Epic Love' or fairytale romance is subject to emotional fluctuations raising to the highest elation and dropping to the darkest depressions. The severe anxiety and emotional turmoil make the Epic Love one of the most dangerous psychological traumas.

"Spanning Years, and contenents. Lives ruined and blood shed. Epic!…. No one writes songs about the ones that come easy." -Logan Echolls (Veronica Mars)

Every long-term aspiration has a psychological impact on the individual and their behavior. Subconscious motivations that alter their behavior and the extreme emotional affluences that can alter an individual's emotional state. The desire for a gallery exhibit may actually be a subconscious desire for affection. These hidden motivations can cause undue amounts of stress as the individual obtains their exhibit but the aspiration still remains unfulfilled. As an individual moves closer to their aspiration, the events and obstacles that prolong attaining that aspiration will have a significant psychological impact. Often these will result in larger emotional reactions than they would ordinarily receive. As an aspiration continues to be evasive, anxiety ultimately becomes a tension and leads to psychological and emotional exhaustion.

Life is filled with aspirations, dreams that drive individuals towards an uncertain goal. While the emotional turmoil of pursuing and ultimately attaining a dream may be an 'Epic' process the emotional and psychological turmoil does not end with attaining that dream. Fear of completing a dream is almost as daunting as trying to attain it. As many artists, writers and dreamers realize when they nearing their aspiration… What comes next?

"That's the fun part. You find a new dream."  
 

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