Is there such a thing as too clever a title?
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Notes
Scenario: you have to replace an ill star with an A-List alternative for a movie about a crusading lawyer and a single parent. Some people who might fit the requirements (Academy Award nominated, possible Golden Globe winner, with more than $4 billion in box office) wouldn’t be chosen because they aren’t an obvious choice.
Our instinct is to avoid “specifics and peculiarities,” to default to the “regular kind” (even if it won’t solve the problem, even if unfair).
Similarly, our instinct is to match the dominant narrative, to fit in rather than stand out.
“It [the instinct?] amplifies our fear at the same time it diminishes our contribution.”
Thoughts
I have my own analogy here: when I taught creative writing, it was fairly common for student writers to believe that the more vague or generic the situation or character, the more it would be relatable to a wide audience. The students who showed the most improvement were the ones who came to understand that readers come to relate or empathize with specific characters in specific situations.
As Seth said in the previous chapter, the peculiar (which he defines as specific) is key. It’s true in narrative writing. It’s true in problem solving. It’s true in art.
I’m not saying, “I already know this,” but I am not really coming to many conclusions about what this means for my “practice” (whatever that is—I’m not sure yet). Perhaps there are ways to think about recording, bucking the (often unhelpful or counterproductive) advice on the internet (though I’ve learned more than I could imagine there). Perhaps it’s an attitude in songwriting; certainly I’ve encountered interesting tensions listening to musicians (recently, in interviews with Michael Stipe and Todd Rundgren) talk about their relationship to pop music.
I also need to remember that this chapter appears in a section about generosity. The call for artists or creators to stand out rather than fit in—whatever that will mean for my music—is a call to be generous, to solve problems in the world.
This series is meant to capture my thoughts as I work through Seth Godin’s The Practice. It’s a book with over 200 (very short) chapters, which I hope to work through and, I further hope, to implement over time.
If you’re interested in more of Godin’s ideas, or my thoughts about them, you can check out this collection of posts. Note that if you’re more interested in the former, you should probably get Godin’s book and read it yourself; my notes will be both incomplete and idiosyncratic, and my thoughts will relate to my own experience.
But if my thoughts resonate with you, or if you think I’m just silly, I welcome your comments.