Comments on: Critical, pragmatic, self-belief – an artist's life-blood… http://www.stevelawson.net/2008/02/critical_pragma/ the soundtrack to the day you wish you'd had Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:39:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Steve http://www.stevelawson.net/2008/02/critical_pragma/comment-page-1/#comment-407 Steve Thu, 06 Mar 2008 10:36:48 +0000 http://www.stevelawson.net/wordpress/2008/02/critical-pragmatic-self-belief-an-artists-life-blood/#comment-407 Thanks, Mike! glad you enjoyed it. :o) The ability to stay aware and mindful within the process is a lifelong juggling game, and we all miss it at times. As the cliche goes, hindsight is 20/20 - it's worth using to see where you're going, but not really helpful to beat yourself up over mistakes made in art... Sometimes something looks or sounds great for a reason at the time, even if that reason is obscured later... that's OK. It's important never to overestimate the importance of each element in your past body of work, but at the same time, to create like what you're about to do will change the world. There's no real reason to do it, otherwise... Thanks, Mike! glad you enjoyed it. :o )

The ability to stay aware and mindful within the process is a lifelong juggling game, and we all miss it at times. As the cliche goes, hindsight is 20/20 – it’s worth using to see where you’re going, but not really helpful to beat yourself up over mistakes made in art… Sometimes something looks or sounds great for a reason at the time, even if that reason is obscured later… that’s OK.

It’s important never to overestimate the importance of each element in your past body of work, but at the same time, to create like what you’re about to do will change the world. There’s no real reason to do it, otherwise…

]]> By: Steve http://www.stevelawson.net/2008/02/critical_pragma/comment-page-1/#comment-408 Steve Thu, 06 Mar 2008 10:33:17 +0000 http://www.stevelawson.net/wordpress/2008/02/critical-pragmatic-self-belief-an-artists-life-blood/#comment-408 the key to incorporating anything, I think, is 'mindfulness' - to bend consciously with the wind, or take shelter, rather than trying to resist... And if you do have to resist, soundtrack or photo-document the resistance... Brian Eno has said for years that he ignores opinion of his work, because what's out there publicly is so far from what he's working on now as to be irrelevant to his current work process... there's a lot to be said for that - I recently got a torrent of fairly abusive critique of my live stuff from a guy who apparently hadn't seen me play for 4 or 5 years, and held a grudge against me personally for some unknown reason... I no longer have the time or headspace to debate such things with people whose aim isn't to understand what I do better. If someone just wants to be offensive, a solo bassist is pretty much a sitting duck ;o) the key to incorporating anything, I think, is ‘mindfulness’ – to bend consciously with the wind, or take shelter, rather than trying to resist… And if you do have to resist, soundtrack or photo-document the resistance…

Brian Eno has said for years that he ignores opinion of his work, because what’s out there publicly is so far from what he’s working on now as to be irrelevant to his current work process… there’s a lot to be said for that – I recently got a torrent of fairly abusive critique of my live stuff from a guy who apparently hadn’t seen me play for 4 or 5 years, and held a grudge against me personally for some unknown reason… I no longer have the time or headspace to debate such things with people whose aim isn’t to understand what I do better. If someone just wants to be offensive, a solo bassist is pretty much a sitting duck ;o)

]]> By: Tom Alves http://www.stevelawson.net/2008/02/critical_pragma/comment-page-1/#comment-409 Tom Alves Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:12:48 +0000 http://www.stevelawson.net/wordpress/2008/02/critical-pragmatic-self-belief-an-artists-life-blood/#comment-409 I read it and spent the entire time thinking "Well that goes for photography". You can tie yourself in knots trying to please others or by sticking to the "rules" and never truly express yourself or develop as an artist. It never harms to incorporate what others like but that shouldn't be the overriding imperative. FWIW I heard an interview with an aged rock star who was countering criticism about his later work. He was surprised that after thirty years the critics/fans were still expecting him to write the music he played in the 70s, whereas he wanted to explore new ideas and styles. I read it and spent the entire time thinking “Well that goes for photography”. You can tie yourself in knots trying to please others or by sticking to the “rules” and never truly express yourself or develop as an artist. It never harms to incorporate what others like but that shouldn’t be the overriding imperative.

FWIW I heard an interview with an aged rock star who was countering criticism about his later work. He was surprised that after thirty years the critics/fans were still expecting him to write the music he played in the 70s, whereas he wanted to explore new ideas and styles.

]]> By: Mike R http://www.stevelawson.net/2008/02/critical_pragma/comment-page-1/#comment-410 Mike R Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:30:23 +0000 http://www.stevelawson.net/wordpress/2008/02/critical-pragmatic-self-belief-an-artists-life-blood/#comment-410 Blimey - You're not wrong about the length of the post. Bloody good post though. Some sage advice there, especially about what sort of people can help. Although "anyone who's on your pay-roll" isn't likely to be a problem for me for quite sometime... Do you think it's possible to miss the moment when you're creating, sometimes? As an artist, I find that I make stuff, or go through the process of making stuff, and if I'm not careful, I can go past the point where its a great painting, and turn it into a sub-standard painting. Being receptive to the moment when the work has peaked can be a real knack that comes with practise. Is it the same when you're a musician? Blimey – You’re not wrong about the length of the post.

Bloody good post though. Some sage advice there, especially about what sort of people can help. Although “anyone who’s on your pay-roll” isn’t likely to be a problem for me for quite sometime…

Do you think it’s possible to miss the moment when you’re creating, sometimes? As an artist, I find that I make stuff, or go through the process of making stuff, and if I’m not careful, I can go past the point where its a great painting, and turn it into a sub-standard painting. Being receptive to the moment when the work has peaked can be a real knack that comes with practise. Is it the same when you’re a musician?

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