Thinking by writing
On feeling stuck, taste, and good artists
I think I’ve done it. I discovered a formula that describes what makes a good artist. I’m not sure what it means yet but I did get a good reminder of why writing is useful in the first place.
It happened in the way these things often do, not while out shooting or thinking really hard but feeling stuck about what to write this week. I did what I usually do in this situation which is to sit down and write what comes to mind.
The starting point wasn’t fancy. I scrolled more Instagram reels this week than I’m willing to admit and something kept coming up: taste. Everyone is talking about it these days (maybe not everyone, maybe it’s not even that many people but that’s how it feels like in the haze of scrolling). What it is, how you can develop it, and how tech companies are using it. I didn’t have a strong opinion but it struck me enough that this is what I starting writing about when I felt stuck.
Here’s the unedited part of what came out:
I’m rambling. I feel like I’m forcing a topic to write about. I find the topic interesting but can I write something meaningful or interesting based on a few reels and 10 minutes of thinking. Let me list what I find interesting about this topic:
Need to consume many different things as an artist because all your consumption makes you a more rounded and interesting person and therefore you can create better
Develop the ability to discern what you like and dislike as the basis of taste. And be able to explain why in both cases
This links to the importance of Rick Rubin who believes his value and job is in his confidence in his taste and having clarity in what he likes and dislikes and being able to communicate it clearly
quality inspiration + knowing what you like and dislike + ability to explain why + confidence in opinions = good artist
That last line stopped me. It felt like I had actually landed on something useful through this. It’s not the definitive artist formula but what I found interesting is that I hadn’t intended to write about this. Ten minutes earlier, I felt stuck and then a handful of half formed observations connected into an idea that felt worth exploring.
Later, I added technical skill to the formula and ended with this:
good artist = quality inspiration + knowing what you like and dislike + ability to explain why + confidence in opinions + the skill and persistence to realize that taste in the work itself
I don’t know if this formula will stand the test of time because it did not marinate long enough in my drafts. And I’m aware that calling it a formula is generous. It’s more like a list of things I believe matter, with plus signs between them. Still it felt good enough to share that process of getting out of a block.
Later, I came across a piece in the New Yorker on why Silicon Valley is suddenly obsessed with taste, and a Guardian essay arguing that algorithms have destroyed our ability to have any. Both were worth reading and both made me feel like my initial impression of taste being trendy wasn’t wrong. Through the process of writing this, I am also realizing that I’ve never quite thought about my own taste and how to build it. Maybe that’s an important thing to do as a photographer.