The masses want what the masses want.
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Notes
Waiting for Godot as a case study:
- Most people hate it because it’s not what they signed up for. It doesn’t remind them of the kinds of plays they like.
- Being loved by a few (not by everyone) is a sign of idiosyncrasy—worth seeking out and talking about.
- Its debut is remembered long after the plays it competed against are forgotten.
“The desire to please the masses interferes with our need to make something that matters.” Masses want entertainment, easy group dynamics. We already have lots of that.
“The practice demands that we seek to make an impact on someone, not on everyone.”
Thoughts
[A quick aside: Seth lists a lot of plays that Waiting for Godot competed against, I think because they’re all pretty much forgotten (The Ponder Heart, Time Limit!, Uncle Willie). Of course, I’d not heard of them. But one of the plays was Troilus and Cressida, which is Shakespeare. I think he made an impact. 🙂 ]
I don’t have anything new to say at this point. As I’ve noted before, I don’t struggle with the desire to create work (whether it’s music or stories or whatever) for everyone. At the same time, I don’t really have a someone that I target, either. I’ve decided to focus on creating the work for now, keeping my attitude that it’s for anyone for now—though I can see that “sales” will require honing that concept. “Anyone” may allow serendipity, but I can see that it probably doesn’t lead to enrollment.
Speaking of “creating the work for now”: I’ve actually begun what I intend to be daily work on the album. I’ve spent most of my time reminding myself how things work, which is why working daily (or, at least, regularly) is so important. But I’ve felt good behind the frustration—good enough that I am reasonably confident that I can turn this into habit or routine—indeed, a practice (or part of one).
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.