Go to The Impossibility Of Knowing
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- Go to When It Becomes All About Winning We've Lost The Plot
True, true, very true.
posted by
_dave_says_ack_
on August 15, 2005 at 12:51 AM
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I TOTALLY agree with you here, May
When it all comes down, rankings don't define you or your abilities. The only thing that defines you is the
actual work that you display on your blog.
posted by
Joe_Love
on August 14, 2005 at 6:35 PM
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Renigade3, thank you but not so much as to know how?
posted by
Azur
on August 13, 2005 at 10:21 PM
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Very true. God, you ARE a genius!
posted by
Renigade
on August 13, 2005 at 9:25 PM
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MayB
You are one of my favorites now. You always seem to have something wise to say.
posted by
Hemlocker
on August 13, 2005 at 6:42 PM
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I'm watching "His Girl Friday" right now on Turner Classic Movies, as I
read this piece. And I see your New York side now... Thanks for the encouragement. That is tremendously important around here....
posted by
WindTapper
on August 13, 2005 at 5:08 PM
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Couldn't agree more...
I know since I've started writing on BlogIt I find myself checking my ratings, etc. But I also know that it's not really about that at all! It's about writing. I'm writing for me, but also I am now writing to SHARE it with others. That's what BlogIt is really for, isn't it? We are here to share our writing with other writers...not try and outwrite everyone else.
posted by
Cunningham_Smith07
on August 13, 2005 at 4:48 PM
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mayb
Well said!!
posted by
TIMMYTALES
on August 13, 2005 at 3:47 PM
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Girly-girl, I wish I knew
posted by
Azur
on August 13, 2005 at 3:44 PM
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FactorFiction, writers should try to stand alone and not let the competition define them
posted by
Azur
on August 13, 2005 at 3:14 PM
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Personally, for me, what drives me to make good stories - actually, to write at all - is to do it better than everyone else and prove it to myself. I read a year's worth of fiction from various publications - Asimov's, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Weird Tales, etc. - and I found the quality for the majority of the content in these magazines to be fatally boring and tame.
This may be because these stories are chosen for the public market. Given the artistic freedom the internet provides, I see no reason to continue this tradition of "safe" fiction. Here my success will not be determined by commericial probability, but by how long I continue to keep up the subscription fee and draw in new readers.
It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game. I play by observing those around me, guaging their output, then subsequently doing what they do NOT do. For better or worse, I'll be the difference between public performance and engaging writing.
posted by
CFarmer
on August 13, 2005 at 12:54 PM
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Well said MayB.
posted by
NCwriter
on August 13, 2005 at 9:34 AM
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I have heard via an ex-artist that art is more about who
you know rather than your work. I think it would be much harder to keep from getting caught up in competition in the art world than writing, although that has it's competition also.
posted by
FactorFiction
on August 13, 2005 at 7:39 AM
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Cassandras comment touched me
See, I have a friend who's an artist. It worries me that he will probably never make a living from selling his work, like he would like to. But I bet, that when he has passed away, he'll be the next picasso. Why IS THAT?!?!?!?
PS--I read your post and agree with it, but yeah, you have to have the time (or put IN the time) to be competitive, but competition is not that important to some...
posted by
buttsup
on August 13, 2005 at 6:21 AM
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Good advice. I find it bemusing that so many creative artists are only admired and sought after once they are dead. It doesn't say much for everyone else.
posted by
Ca88andra
on August 12, 2005 at 9:41 PM
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Quirky, "appropriate". When you said that I knew I chose the right word. Appropriate is the kiss of death
posted by
Azur
on August 12, 2005 at 9:02 PM
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Krisles, I am going to drag him to the party if only so we can snicker at what the judges chose and drink lots of cheap wine. It is always a shame when we give judges the power over what we do. The reality is that after the show they forget anyway but someone who loves a piece of art work NEVER forgets
posted by
Azur
on August 12, 2005 at 9:01 PM
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"get" is definitely the right word here. Big difference between those two words. The other word is appropriate as well...but that's a whole different ball game.
posted by
Julia.
on August 12, 2005 at 8:56 PM
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MayB
Excellent post. My husband is capable of the most beautiful mosaic art work...could make it a career, do it on commission, at his own pace, feel really good about himself..but he is paralyzed by the fear of it being judged...so once he was told that is what he should do, he quit making it at all. I write to get it out, and I hope that people enjoy. Competition is a delicate tightrope to dance on.
posted by
Krisles
on August 12, 2005 at 8:52 PM
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QuirkyAlone, thanks ...and there I was about to change the word "get" to value. I've left it. I heard a writer speak last week about little words in a sentence which make us pause. It was probably nothing to do with that dynamic...lol. Sorry, after that literary event last week I've become such a bore.
BTW, I am not saying we should customize everything for our audience - they wouldn't want that - but we should be aware that we have an audience even if it is not to the proportions of Dan Brown
posted by
Azur
on August 12, 2005 at 8:51 PM
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IsisEyes, er... sometimes the ...........one
posted by
Azur
on August 12, 2005 at 8:43 PM
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Ariala, I am not diminishing the No.1 role here or you. That is important to close competitors and to the people who vote for them.
You are very fortunate in that you are among a number of people here, probably a minority of Blogit members whom this particular competition suits and so you perform very well.
I think that applies to most forms of competition - each is really only the right for a subset of people. What concerns me is that people forget that competitions are not the only way to develop strengths and to reach their audience. Other accolades are no less worthy. I am not discouraging people from competing but I am saying have a close look at the game and see if it is your kind of event.
posted by
Azur
on August 12, 2005 at 8:42 PM
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iSiSeYeSs, some of the main game in town is not the ones listed on the billboards. And not only that square pegs waste so much time trying to squeeze into round spaces and that's enough cliches for now ;-)
posted by
Azur
on August 12, 2005 at 8:25 PM
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MayB--
A fantastic post!! This line in particular i think I will print out and put on my monitor where I can see it every single day: "Make beautiful work for the people who get you."
posted by
Julia.
on August 12, 2005 at 8:04 PM
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As I posted today, I blog often when I have time and want to...a time or
two I was more concerned about keeping the # 1 spot, but not that much anymore, despite what some think. I don't post more or less now than I ever have. I like competing, but I have a lot more important things that occupy my life and time.
posted by
Ariala
on August 12, 2005 at 7:55 PM
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MayB,
It's true, always striving for that number one spot takes away from the joy of creative pursuit. It's ingrained in our society, always having to win, to be "the best of the best". But really the best is in the eye of the beholder.
posted by
myrrhage_
on August 12, 2005 at 7:40 PM
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