Last week I watched a movie called The Impressionists, which was about Impressionist painters (obvs) like Monet, Renoir, Degas, Manet, and Cezanne. I was struck by how hard these artists worked to get their art appreciated. People hated them! They thought Monet's work was unfinished, they didn't like how Manet painted women staring straight at you out of the canvas, they hated pretty much everything Cezanne did.
Now, I'm not comparing myself to Monet here. I'm not trying to usher forth some new wave of writing that's never been seen before. (I almost wish I was, then I'd stand out more in the slush.) But I really felt for these painters, struggling because they believed in their art. They didn't quit. They didn't (as far as I know) give in and paint what the masses wanted to see, what was popular of the time. They painted what they felt, how they saw the world.
I write because I love it. But I aim to get published because I BELIEVE in my writing, my art, like they did in theirs. I may never be famous. I may never have millions read my work. It's likely I will never achieve anywhere near their level of success, even posthumously. But I write what I write because I BELIEVE in it. I believe in myself. That's what The Impressionists taught me.
Well, that, and a bigger appreciation for Monet.
Now, I'm not comparing myself to Monet here. I'm not trying to usher forth some new wave of writing that's never been seen before. (I almost wish I was, then I'd stand out more in the slush.) But I really felt for these painters, struggling because they believed in their art. They didn't quit. They didn't (as far as I know) give in and paint what the masses wanted to see, what was popular of the time. They painted what they felt, how they saw the world.
I write because I love it. But I aim to get published because I BELIEVE in my writing, my art, like they did in theirs. I may never be famous. I may never have millions read my work. It's likely I will never achieve anywhere near their level of success, even posthumously. But I write what I write because I BELIEVE in it. I believe in myself. That's what The Impressionists taught me.
Well, that, and a bigger appreciation for Monet.