~ryanlowe/blog: When to Release? Artists Debate

When to Release? Artists Debate

I have two friends I would describe as artists. One is a musician and the other is a writer. Neither have released anything to the public thus far and I was curious about why. Software developers sometimes like to think of themselves as artists when we aren't thinking of ourselves as engineers or scientists, so it was an interesting parallel. When do you release your work?

More specifically, when do you sit down and take all of the information you've learned about your field whether it be visual art, music, writing or software and produce something that someone else can consume? When will you be happy enough with the results of the output to release it? There's an obvious personality issue here -- a person could be so picky about their own work that they never release anything irregardless of its greatness. How sad is that?

Coming from software I can understand the benefit of feedback, which improves the quality of the work you do. But it's hard to map software to creative writing for example, where there may not be as many people willing to sit down to a 400 page manuscript and critique it. You would need to find enough experts to sit down and tear your stuff apart, whether it be music or visual art (which admittedly take less time to digest than a novel).

The difference in software I suppose is that it doesn't take a software expert to spot a small bug. However it does take one to spot a misuse of a design pattern, for example. In an analogy to music, it doesn't take a music expert to know a note was out of tune or wrong, it would just sound gross. In terms of an entire composition however, an expert would know what to do and the average listener would not. In writing, the small bug might be a spelling or gramatical error whereas larger problems might be a disjointed plot ... you get the picture. :)

So really I'm just trying to start a discussion ... how do you know when you are ready to produce something that is good enough to be consumed by the masses?

Posted at January 16, 2004 at 04:31 AM EST
Last updated January 16, 2004 at 04:31 AM EST

Comments

I think that question means different things to different people, based on the way you generally produce your art. Some people prefer input the whole way and thus they are always ready, and some prefer to put out the finished product only. This doesn't necessarily say anything about how good the offering is, though.

But either way, I want to know what people who perceive themselves as artists think about when they churn out piece after piece for everyone's perusal in very little time. They are just as serious about their art, but they spend their time in multiple ideas instead of multiple edits. Is the artist who is always ready with something for the public any more or less of an artist than the one who has a masterpiece that will never be seen?

» Posted by: Lisa at January 16, 2004 04:48 AM

hey lowe, i'm here and ready ;)

[hivva just up the street for lunch]

» Posted by: andrew at January 16, 2004 10:50 AM

I have to agree... a lot of the issue relates to peoples personality and need/ability to handle criticism.

Personally, I think I like to throw an idea/document/whatever out there and see what people think. The real value and prestige for me comes from being able to take their input and make my finished product better.

In terms of artists, which I am definitely NOT, I would say that is the way that many performers work as well. They come up with a few songs/jokes and try them out on people. If they fly, they try a bigger market, and so on until its on the radio every freckin hour. :)

» Posted by: Travis at January 16, 2004 11:13 AM

Hi again,

Lowe, wake up - wake up Lowe, wake up.

» Posted by: andrew at January 16, 2004 11:23 AM

uhh, Andrew, do you have his phone number? That might be a better way to get his attention rather than waiting for him to see your post.
;-)

» Posted by: Jim at January 16, 2004 12:17 PM

He made that post at 4:30 in the morning. I would expect him to get up around 1:00 pm. Am I close?

» Posted by: roy at January 16, 2004 01:15 PM

LOL, oops.

» Posted by: Ryan at January 16, 2004 02:52 PM

I guess that is the funny thing about cell phones... you can turn them off / down much more readily than a regular phone.

I almost opened your gift to keep for myself on the bus ride home... but instead i just fell asleep!

» Posted by: andrew at January 16, 2004 03:35 PM

It was on but it was in my jacket pocket ... I guess that muffled the sound. :S

Next week! Indian sounds mighty good if you are up for it again. If not maybe Jamaican, if you have 2 hours. :)

» Posted by: Ryan at January 16, 2004 04:12 PM