March 23, 2007

Worrying About the Audience

I was watching Jon Stewart of the Daily Show being interviewed the other day and of course connected his comments to stamping (as let's face it, you can draw a line from any Point A and it will eventually lead to stamping)! He talked about how he became a good comic. In addition to lots and lots of practice, he only really came into his own as a comic when he stopped worrying about the audience. Worrying about whether the audience would laugh at his jokes stopped his creative thought processes. Hmm.... So I got to thinking, the audience is important. Their reaction is important. It keeps our creative juices flowing, gives us energy. Without an audience, a comic/an artist/a cardmaker goes flat, dries up. A comic needs to hear the laughter. It isn't vain or stupid to want to hear the laughter, is it? But if you create just to get the laughter, it doesn't work... I don't know about you, but I found this quite thought provoking.

8 comments:

  1. I totally agree here. This is partly why I don't post often on my blog but I do when I feel like it. It's always nice to hear a word or two from someone on my creations. I enjoy the process of stamping, very much. I think my audience are the RAKees, friends and family I send the cards to. I suppose blog readers as well. By the way I enjoy your blog a lot, your creations are awesome!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes Joan, very interesting! I definitely like and want validation from others when I create something. But you know what, I'm proudest of the stuff I really like regardless of if I get fanfare from anyone else. My BF laughs at me cuz she says I get this weird face when I please myself with something I made and then I clap my hands. LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  3. It is very interesting. I just posted some cards to SCS for the first time in a while. Of course, I have checked back every few hours since I posted yesterday afternoon to see what people's comments are. And my favorite of the 4 has zero comments after 50 views. It is still my favorite, I guess I shouldn't worry so much about what other people think.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Excellent message, Joan -- and one that serves as an important reminder to all creative folks, no matter whether they are stampers, writers, or artists in other ways. Everyone needs to be validated from time to time, but if we are concentrating only on what the recipient or viewer or reader are thinking, we lose focus and the real reason we are doing what we do -- the love of our craft.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love positive feedback whether it's outright glowing or its more tempered form, encouragement. But I think what's critical is understanding that it's all about relationship - authentic relationship. Positive feedback is probably most important when we're newbies at anything.

    Remember the first days of school or starting new jobs or dating someone new? We're nourished and gain confidence through the positive regard of others.

    The problem isn't that we want others to like what we do [hence, like us!], it's when we drive our actions to cater to the crowd, artistically or in anything else. Strength and maturity come from daring to be who we are, to create and share of our efforts, whether they're applauded, ignored, or boo-ed. I think it's so important not to fall into mob or crowd mentality, becuase if we do, we've lost ourselves.

    Please don't gather your combined collections of mounted stamps and throw them at me ;-)), but Shakespeare [Billy the Bard] really did sum it up best when he said:"To thine own self be true for it follows that thou cans't not then be false to anyone." For sure!! ~ pk

    ReplyDelete
  6. I sometimes think we are conditioned to think we aren't good at something... unless everyone tells us so. I like to create for creating sake... to do what makes me feel happy... I still care what other people think, wouldn't be human otherwise, but I don't worry as I did when I was younger that I'm wasting my time... I know I have talent... it just may not be the kind of talent 'everyone' likes. So I will be happy if what I do makes someone else smile... but if not it keeps me smiling inside :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I agree 100% with Jon and you!
    I stopped putting things in my SCS gallery because after looking at everyone's creations I realized that I really wasn't that good and thought that I should not have a gallery. I just made a card for my nephew that I like very much and I'm going to put it in the gallery and watch myself grow...hoepfuly, LOL. TFS.

    ReplyDelete
  8. okay.. shutting up now! LOL This really made me think! Yeah... Jay Leno tells his audience to quit moaning when he knows it's a bad joke. He knows, but he still tells it, because sharing the good with the bad is half the fun. I mean, relationships are *not* just good all the time. There has to be some bad. And if you keep the bad out then people don't know who you truly are. So.. what does this mean to me and why am I posting to your comment?!?! LOL I am long-winded and I'm going to show people all of me. :) Thanks Joan for sharing this!
    ~Kendra

    ReplyDelete