Audiences and Artists

We're all audiences and artists in turns, and not always well matching. Some artists aren't even looking for audiences, yet audiences happen along to critique them anyway. Other artists are dying for audiences to the point of trying to force people to pay attention and show some respect! Meanwhile, audiences are hungry to satisfy their particulars, and quite capable of shrillness when artists don't happen to live up to the kinds of performances they're after. It's nice when artists and audiences happen to find a good fit with each other. That this tends to be rather rare, makes it all the more satisfying when it arrives. The rest seems about damage control, neither being too hurt nor too hurting, too outraged or outrageous, too crazy or crazed, however ill-fitting, one against the other.

It's hard to be any better or different kind of artist than we all naturally are. In fact, it looks bad even trying to be. The spider spins its web not to impress people, and yet, people may be quite impressed. A contestant on So You Think You Can Dance may be trying ever so hard to gain the approval of judges and audiences, and fail miserably, even if inside him self he's having a very good time in his internal reverie.

So, you know, it's touchy, this thing between performers and viewers. Not always an easy relationship. Curious finding the sweet spot between trying one's best but not too hard and for the true right reasons and not the ones destined to disappoint.

--Steve