I'm quite taken with Aurelius's notion that it's all right not to have an opinion, particularly when it's applied to the arts, including fiction and poetry. Don't make pronouncements on what the piece is--it's good or it's bad--tell me what the piece DOES. (One of the main reasons I became fed up with fiction workshop upon completing grad school.)
Me too!!! I'm struck by Aurelius's concept too! Not declaring an opinion allows for a poem or work
of literature to affect you differently at different times in life. Once an opinion has been declared people tend to put energy into defense of their opinions. A work of literature can have value and worth independent of individual opinions at the moment. There have been poets, writers whose works weren't held in good opinion during one era but much later were esteemed highly. Opinions, it turns out, are ephemeral... Like you I became fed up with the creative workshop "jockeying for whose opinions will hold sway" bs.
The best teachers I had began classes saying some version of "There are many ways to paint, and it's all subjective, I don't think my way is the only way or even the best way but it is the way I know. So that's what I'm teaching." If it was a class that gave grades the prof laid out what was expected and would say something like "because I have to give a grade we'll use this criteria- it's not the only way or the best way - but please humor me so I can give you grades. If I can't grade your work then the Dean will eat my lunch and I'll be grumpy because I'm hungry."
I love how you share your creative process (and how you *processed* Aurelius’s words: lightly holding opinions, letting them float off. I think this allows them to morph into shape. Or shapelessness.
Thank you!! And I agree with you - the very act of processing words, experiences, holding opinions lightly, letting them float off - is indeed what lets them morph into shapes or shapelessness. Watching the morph happen is possibly a connection between our creative mind and the meaning we perceive - allowing/enabling choices...
All too often!! Some student would declare "the only good art is...[insert
a label like abstract, postmodern, impressionistic etc]" and then proceed to do a no-true-Scotsman fallacy style argument in support of their opinion. Including trying to form a mini-mob in support of their opinion. A good professor or teacher nipped this early at which point that bully-wanna-be would declare the teacher and the class "old fashioned" (or some other term) and flounce out. Then we could get to the actual class work.
I'm quite taken with Aurelius's notion that it's all right not to have an opinion, particularly when it's applied to the arts, including fiction and poetry. Don't make pronouncements on what the piece is--it's good or it's bad--tell me what the piece DOES. (One of the main reasons I became fed up with fiction workshop upon completing grad school.)
Me too!!! I'm struck by Aurelius's concept too! Not declaring an opinion allows for a poem or work
of literature to affect you differently at different times in life. Once an opinion has been declared people tend to put energy into defense of their opinions. A work of literature can have value and worth independent of individual opinions at the moment. There have been poets, writers whose works weren't held in good opinion during one era but much later were esteemed highly. Opinions, it turns out, are ephemeral... Like you I became fed up with the creative workshop "jockeying for whose opinions will hold sway" bs.
With the same advice: write it the way I would have written it.
Yes!!!!! ❤❤
The best teachers I had began classes saying some version of "There are many ways to paint, and it's all subjective, I don't think my way is the only way or even the best way but it is the way I know. So that's what I'm teaching." If it was a class that gave grades the prof laid out what was expected and would say something like "because I have to give a grade we'll use this criteria- it's not the only way or the best way - but please humor me so I can give you grades. If I can't grade your work then the Dean will eat my lunch and I'll be grumpy because I'm hungry."
Perfect! None of my workshop teachers graded the work. They graded us on doing the work and contributing to the workshop discussions.
My workshop teachers did the same as yours... the profs in my college art school had more criteria.
I love how you share your creative process (and how you *processed* Aurelius’s words: lightly holding opinions, letting them float off. I think this allows them to morph into shape. Or shapelessness.
Thank you!! And I agree with you - the very act of processing words, experiences, holding opinions lightly, letting them float off - is indeed what lets them morph into shapes or shapelessness. Watching the morph happen is possibly a connection between our creative mind and the meaning we perceive - allowing/enabling choices...
Whoa. My workshops weren't THAT bad!
❤❤❤❤
You got that, too, in your art classes?
All too often!! Some student would declare "the only good art is...[insert
a label like abstract, postmodern, impressionistic etc]" and then proceed to do a no-true-Scotsman fallacy style argument in support of their opinion. Including trying to form a mini-mob in support of their opinion. A good professor or teacher nipped this early at which point that bully-wanna-be would declare the teacher and the class "old fashioned" (or some other term) and flounce out. Then we could get to the actual class work.