Most artists and designers I know would rather work all night than turn in a sub-standard job. It is a universal truth that all artists think they a [sic] frauds and charlatans, and live in constant fear of being exposed. We believe by working harder than anyone else we can evaded [sic] detection. The bean-counters rumbled this centuries ago and have been profitably exploiting this weakness ever since. You don’t have to drive creative folk like most workers. They drive themselves. Just wind ‘em up and let ‘em go.
—
Linds Redding, A Short Lesson in Perspective
Linds Redding, A Short Lesson in Perspective
Darcy Fitzpatrick
on 02 Nov 12I can’t tell if the original author is making a point using irony, or if you’re calling them out for doing a sub-standard job when describing how much artists strive not to do a sub-standard job.
JZ
on 02 Nov 12I consider the sentiment genuine; the typos a result of haste.
Jamie
on 02 Nov 12Neil Gaiman touched on a similar subject in his commencement speech at the University of the Arts in 2012.
Really awesome speech that I was reminded by this really awesome quote.
Henrik
on 02 Nov 12The sics kind of get in the way. Maybe “they [are]”, “[evade]” would flow better?
Braden
on 02 Nov 12Is that a quote?
From how it’s presented, it wasn’t immediately obvious.
Ralph Shao
on 02 Nov 12I think this can happen for anything where there can be a subjective idea of what’s “good”—the successful start to think things like “really? people like what I did?” or “it worked? how did that work?” And it’s these sorts of individuals that we need to seek out and cultivate. They have whatever the opposite of fundamental attribution error is… Rather than lay back and coast, they can’t accept that they were responsible for a great outcome and continue to try harder and improve in spite of their success.
Anonymous Coward
on 03 Nov 12Using sic incorrectly
David Andersen
on 04 Nov 12Quite a bit of truth to this but I don’t think it’s the whole story. Some creative people – even when they recognize what they’ve done well – see a pile of glaring flaws that need correction even when those flaws are insignificant to everyone else. But all the good ones I know do push themselves relentlessly.
Saikul Islam
on 04 Nov 12It was great. Thanks for sharing it with us….....
Ernie Varitimos
on 04 Nov 12The sentiment is spot on. Many creative people are guarded with their work because they never feel its [sic] good enough. Take Walt Whitman, who published several revisions of Leaves of Grass, never really satisfied, even though it is considered a classic work.
zhoujiu
on 05 Nov 12artists work with passion or sentiment,inspiration.these shows without rules.great revenues with big risk
Justin
on 06 Nov 12Not only do I think Redding’s wrong, I find that idea of universal fraudulence to be pernicious. The effect of normalizing it is a distortion field that keeps us poking and prying into others’ lives on the hunch there’s a lie beneath it all. It’s a triumph for the supermarket tabloids and it’s rotten through and through.
Feeling like you’re a fraud is not universal to artists or to anybody else. Feeling flawed or vulnerable, sure. Part of growing up is learning that the people we look up to are imperfect - they drink too much, they cheat on their spouses, they take the handicapped spot when nobody’s around. It’s a real let-down, but if you’ve got any self-respect you get over it. You don’t prowl for signs of weakness; you accept that vulnerability’s part of the deal. And eventually you even come to see that the world is full of people capable of emerging from an honest self-appraisal with real confidence - people who wake each day grateful for the unique mix of genes, nurturing, and market circumstances that underwrite their talent, who enjoy putting their gifts to use however it works out. The most creative and fascinating people I know are like this.
So bollocks, I say. Bollocks.
James
on 07 Nov 12I find that a bit sad.
I doubt that fear is absolutely necessary to produce good work. That it’s there lessens their quality of life and allows them to be exploited.
Brandon
on 07 Nov 12Read the entire blog post if you want the full context. Starting at the beginning of Redding’s blog will also give you a better idea of where he is coming from (and his full perspective). Linds passed away on Nov. 1st.
http://www.campaignbriefasia.com/2012/11/vale-linds-redding—-art-direc.html
This discussion is closed.