If you can't say something nice...

I've encountered quite a bit of negativity lately, directed against art, music, writing, etc.--that some creator (an artist, musician, or writer, etc.)--doesn't like. Generally, what the "critics" finds distasteful is what they see as a lack of quality in someone else's work--usually a high-profile someone, and/or someone who is considered "good" and/or "talented" by many people.

Now, there are overrated people out there!  There are people making good money who lack what many folks would consider to be "basic" skills; people who have built careers on work done by others (others who often are not being paid as much as the plagiarist); people whose primary talent is physical attractiveness, etc.

There have always been such people--and I think there probably always will be.

Personally, I would rather champion what I feel to be "quality" work: solid, well-made, innovative, creative, excellent, and/or top-notch art--than criticize junk for being (perhaps only in my opinion) junk. To me, it makes far more sense to showcase what I like, what I enjoy, and what I respect--and to explain why I value these works--than focus on why I may dislike certain other stuff.

I have occasionally been highly critical of others' work in the past, and it honestly did (usually me) more harm than good. In the recent examples of such criticism I've witnessed, it has also done little good for the folks I've seen doing the criticism.

I truly believe it is far better to promote what is good, than to continually bash what isn't.

I'm going to do my best to keep this blog focused on what works, what inspires, what I believe is "good", and ignore the stuff I don't like.  There isn't enough time to devote to all the amazing stuff being done today; it certainly isn't a good idea to wast time on what isn't worthy!

[A new (preliminary) drawing--very early stages--for a new painting.  Graphite on canvas, approx. 14x18 inches.]