honestly tho
artists as a whole are so underrrated, even by each other, and especially by ourselves. the three aspects of art i’m specifically thinking about are visual art, writing and music.
visual artists are often overlooked because while a piece of work could take three seconds to look over, it takes hours upon hours to complete, from having the idea to drafts to needing to start over because of a smudge. i feel like no one really considers the work behind art because for few, picking up a pencil and sketching can create a work that belongs in the Lourve. but the ones who need to work to make art, who can’t quite visualize the shadows and end up creating a monster instead of an angel, who’s imagination doesn’t cover every aspect of their model, and who rely on instruction aren’t any less of artists and yet their effort their struggle which finally became a masterpiece after tears, is just not comprehended by those just looking. maybe a “wow that’s cool” or a “sick” but no real recognization for their time and effort.
writers are often acknowledged but not appreciated for what it is they truly do. most writers are known for their stories, and people appreciate the connections between their perception of the work and the writer’s. but people don’t acknowledge the ability to string together words and create a symphony of emotions. they don’t care about the breakdowns that have to be occurring in order to create a breakdown on the page. and even if the work is terribly written, someone still put effort into it! no one wrote a story for it to be recieved as half assed and be ridiculed for it. it’s so easy to mistake word choice for ignorance and even when the writer is trying to get emotion or recognition from the reader, but it’s reliant on the reader. but books are published each day and writers are taught about every english class, but that acknowledges their achievements, not their struggle and effort.
musicians nowadays are often not recognized for the actual music we hear. many of them are recognized for their lyrics or their presentations but no one really acknowledges the time it took to cultivate the chords to progress a segment into a piece. the piano overlay wasn’t dreamnt of in a day, the key didn’t come with the lyrics and the various track overlays didn’t sync together on their own. there are so many musicians who aren’t even recognized for their work on major hits because they didn’t perform it, or they wrote it for another person, or they only played the background for studio recordings. but taking the effort to master your instrument takes time and extreme effort. not every striving classical musician makes it to the philharmonic and not every aspiring pop artist makes it to the studio. the big names have people behind them helping them write, create, and produce the song, and all of them are usually collectively ignored.
the struggle of artists is extreme for all artists, and there’s no guarantee they get a big break or make it to the big stage one day. we need to acknowledge these people now, cause eventually lack of validation can turn so many people away from their talents and dreams. even if it’s not initially talent and they need to work to get amazing at their craft, their effort still needs to be appreciated and acknowledged. thank you artists, for blessing us with your content.
and thank you for attending my 2:37am rant about artist recongniton.