...and it made me think.
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- ave
Somebody just posted their site, not so uncommon a thing on NT, the seeking of an individual to gather the accumulative critic of their peers, so that they may learn and continue to grow within their profession, fine tune, gather amusement or recieve the encouragement they need when times are hard and self confidence fades.
...and it made me think.
This is the great thing about our community, the variety of wisdom, skills, talent (if there is such a thing), and above all the desire to create; this lies within all of us. This I value so much, because I see so little of it in my everyday life. I respect all of the people here, the people that inspire me, the people that are here only for jokes, the people that have a place for NT in their dock, favorites, taskbar or desktop, the people that seek opinions, advice and friendly conversation, the people that sell to their peers, the people that would die to be two columns to the left, and I even respect those who doubt, harass and belittle ~ becuase we are all here for a reason.
I don't seek to know the reason, becuase the reason is different for us all; I seek to understand the process, and this is what I find:
Two columns to the left is an elite group of people who without doubt, though they may be ranked in varying orders, are among the very best in a multi-faceted medium (digital design/art) , the same medium that has drawn each of us. These people, whether by intention or not are creating a barrier between what is accepted and what is not. Don't get me wrong, I understand very well that there are estblished ideas on what works and what does not, and I understand that there is no need to reinvent the wheel. This is what the people on the far left represent, those who work within the knowledge of "what works and what does not". It's a funny thing to go through and really look at where they are coming from, what are their backgrounds? Each has a very different background, and their strengths lie within that background, though their skills are by no means limited to that back ground. Each has drawn from other areas, though alomost unlimited in the scope of new/multi/web based media, and have gathered just enough to shine through as the great individuals they are, true to themselves and true to their pursuit of individual excellence.
The point is, they didn't get to the level they're at by listening to critics on NT, and they didn't get there by listening to what they were told was ideal from a column two to the left. Perhaps they are where they are because they chose to be the best they could be regardless of ideals of what works and what does not.
Perhaps it's just a question to myself; "do you seek to follow in the footsteps of the great, or do you seek what they sought?"...
...or perhaps it's a case of watching how an industry takes hold, where once they were peers like us, soon they take hold and clarify the difference between the seekers of the unknown, and the casters of footprints, and hey, if you can make a pretty penny by leaving footprints, wouldn't you?
Alas, I am an iconoclast and an egoist, and without doubt too tired and drunk to ramble on of my seeking. Goodnight.
- davetufts0
(1) First off, I agree nt is a pretty neat site.
(2) "This is the great thing about our community, the variety of wisdom, skills, talent"
...there's really nothing special about the people in OUR community. there are countless community/forum sites for every profession from programming to motorcyle riding. people who partake in any of the better community sites (regardless of the proffessional focus) are just as wise, skilled, and helpful at what they do as the visual designers here.
(2) "The point is, they didn't get to the level they're at by listening to critics "
I disagree - anyone who went to design school has participated in countless crits. the best design combines originality (from the designer) and a connection to the user. you only know if you've made that connection if you get a crit.
- JazX0
uhh ok, are you drinking or smoking something now, hee he ;)
- unknown0
you forgot to mention favoritism on the far left.
you know the good ol' "I link my buddy's splash page"
The pseudo design community became a sell out community. Whatever happend to the good souls who'll rather die then to ask for money for a service.
We can count those souls on one hand.
The whole community thing is fucked up because of the sell outs and elitism bullshit.
Fucking ego trippin'
Nobody is a better designer, you fuckers
- JazX0
exactly
- ave0
Great points Dave.
I guess I just wonder to what a length a critique really extends into the creative process. I understand that where design is communication you need to make sure that the communication has occured. I know that in school critiques were helpful, I always learned alot about how others percieve visual material and which elements they are attaracted to. Sharing of information and views is an important thing, but which information should be taken and truly listened to? What I witnessed in school was a learning process where through practice each student learned to commincate visually in a natural instinctive nature, presenting through methods they understand. The critique became a stage where we witnessed the progress of each persons act of stripping away their own false ideas about design, or other peoples ideas about design that were emulated without understanding them. The successful stripping process is not a direct reaction of adhereing to the ideas presented in a critique, but rather a learning process within the subject where they begin to realize that the elements of their design that hinder them are the elements that were placed without knowledge of how they work, and without questioning why they were placed there to begin with. I don't think that this realisation is the result of a crtique, I think that a critique promotes a sense of tail chasing, where the subject is taught to accept that the answer to good design lies in somebody elses opinion. The subject then limits their ability to do what they would instinctively or know how to do and instead get caught in seeking the opinions of others, adhering without understanding.
I guess it's different for each of us. Ultimately I just enjoy thinking and talking about stuff like this.
- peanuts0
I keep thinking of a novel or a design book react trend is starting.