Punishment Week - Day 2

So I was going to review Twilight the movie today, but decided against it, since about everyone who is going to see it, has seen it, and it's nearly out of cinemas anyway, so i figure that it might be just a little pointless.

Instead, I will talk about art. I was studying art at uni last year (did i mention that i dropped out? well, there you go) and one of the principles they teach is that you have to know what people before you have done, so 1) you don't inadvertantly create something you thought was original, when in fact it has already been done and 2) you can use their work as inspiration for your own. This has been taught to the extent that now, it is widely accepted that everything has already been done. There is no originality left in the world, because people in decades and centuries before us have already done it all. The only thing that Art is good for, then, is making statements, political; environmental; social or otherwise. That, or stick to making commissions for your whole life, hanging pseudo-expressive paintings on walls of houses everywhere.

I personally have a problem with this. That is, not everyone who makes art wants to make political statements with their art. And not everyone is happy with jusst making what others employ them to make. Also, I am thoroughly aware that everything has been done thankyou, but how are we supposed to see EVERY piece of art ever made before we make a start on our own? How are we ever going to be 100% sure that it's ok for us to make what we're making, without being accused of copying someone greater than us? Freedom of expression just isn't what is used to be.

My message is, screw it, just do it. If you get a creative surge, and you JUST HAVE to make something, don't listen to the high-brows of the art world. If there was one thing I learned as a member of the art community, they really do spend a lot of their time talking out of their arses. Don't listen to them. Being an artist means being your own boss. You do what you do best. Who cares who did it before you? Seriously, it's highly likely that the preceding artist doesn't really care.

Yep. That's about all I got to say.