Let me start by saying this: Most things in life are subjective.
We like what we like. We feel what we feel. Neither are up for debate.
One size never fits all, especially when it comes to art, style, talent, or taste.
What moves me might leave you unmoved.
What I find breathtaking and inspiring might barely register for others.
And thatās not just okay. Itās part of what makes us human.
āIf it is art, it is not for all, and if it is for all, it is not art.ā
Arnold Schoenberg
Still, Iām constantly amazed (and sometimes bemused) by how many people assume that just because they like or make somethingāa book, film, or whateverāIām going to like or love it too. Or even have the bandwidth to engage with it. And when I donāt respond with effusive praise or immediate feedback, some folks take it personally.
As if my response (or lack thereof) is a referendum on them as people.
But hereās the triple truth, Ruth: just because someone I like made something doesnāt mean I will connect with it. Not everythingās my cup of tea. (And to be honest, I donāt even like hot tea. Iced tea, please and thank you!)
I have so many talented, creative friends. Weāre all out here doing our thingābattling doubt, chasing ideas, making plans, meeting deadlines, and struggling to make ends meet. Weāre busy doing our best. None of us has the time or energy to keep score of who liked what or who commented when.
Lord knows Iām not keeping tabs. And I gravitate to those who donāt keep tabs either.
Just because I make my work from home does not make it someone elseās homework.
I canāt speak for every creative person, but I am truly honored when anyone takes time from their day to engage with my work. But I make it for me first. Because the process matters to me. Not because I am chasing likes or applause from my dears, nears, and/or queers.
I do my best to keep my self-worth unentangled from the response.
Not everyone is going to āget it.ā Thatās fine. Thatās expected.
To be clear: I love my creative friends. Iām proud of their voices and their courage. But that doesnāt mean Iām going to love every line they write or every frame they film. And I sure as hell donāt expect them to loveāor even noticeāeverything I create.
Honestly, scorekeeping misses the point.
The joy is in the making. The play. The art.
Art isnāt made by consensus. Itās made by conviction.
Keep it real. Make whatās true for you.
Let people find or meet you where they can.
And if they canāt? Oh well. Life goes on.
So keep calm, keep collecting, keep creating, and keep curating!
Clint šāļø
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ā¤ļøš§”ššššš¤š©·š©µš¤š¤
ON THIS DAY = JUNE 26
BIRTHDAYS
1892 = Pearl S. Buck = American writer and Nobel Prize laureate
1904 = Peter Lorre = Slovak-American actor and singer
1905 = Lynd Ward = American author and illustrator
1909 = Colonel Tom Parker = Dutch-American talent manager
1929 = Milton Glaser = American illustrator and graphic designer
1934 = Dave Grusin = American pianist and composer
1938 = Billy Davis Jr. = American pop-soul singer
1941 = Virginia āGinnyā Apuzzo = American activist š
1942 = Gilberto Gil = Brazilian singer-songwriter
1955 = Mick Jones = English singer-songwriter
1956 = Chris Isaak = American singer-songwriter
1970 = Chris O'Donnell = American actor
1970 = Nick Offerman = American actor
1970 = Paul Thomas Anderson = American filmmaker
1970 = Sean Hayes = American actor and comedian š
1980 = Jason Schwartzman = American actor and singer-songwriter
1993 = Ariana Grande = American singer-songwriter and actor
1997 = Jacob Elordi = Australian actor
EVENTS
1870 = Die WalkĆ¼re (The Valkyrie), the second of the four music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) premieres in Munich.
1906 = The first Grand Prix motor race is held at Le Mans.
1925 = The Gold Rush is released in theaters.
1927 = The Cyclone roller coaster opens on Coney Island.
1945 = The United Nations Charter is signed by 50 Allied nations in San Francisco, California.
1948 = Shirley Jackson's short story The Lottery is published in The New Yorker.
1959 = Darby O'Gill and the Little People is released in theaters.
1974 = The Universal Product Code is scanned for the first time to sell a package of Wrigley's chewing gum at the Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio.
1977 = Elvis Presley held his final concert in Indianapolis, Indiana at Market Square Arena.
1981 = For Your Eyes Only is released in theaters.
2003 = SCOTUS rules (6 to 3) in Lawrence v. Texas that sex-based sodomy laws are unconstitutional.
2013 = SCOTUS rules (5 to 4) that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional and in violation of the Fifth Amendment.
2015 = SCOTUS rules (5 to 4) in Obergefell v. Hodges that the US Constitution requires same-sex couples be allowed to marry, making the US the 17th country to legalize same-sex marriages.
HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES
PORTRAIT + QUOTES OF THE DAY
āThe real issue is not talent as an independent element, but talent in relationship to will, desire, and persistence. Talent without these things vanishes and even modest talent with those characteristics grows.ā
Milton Glaser
āTo design is to communicate clearly by whatever means you can control or master.ā
Milton Glaser
https://youtu.be/hQM97_iNXhk?si=GQ9MyrK7lMQjZXoO
Music to do your housework to ššā
Damned I did a cute reply Clint buttttt attempted to add to it (edit) and the whole things disappeared ggggrrrr, Cheers DougT