4 ms·

the process of creation is so strange sometimes. not only can something that you think is awful be instead widely appreciated, but sometimes what really is awf

by jal278 15y ago

the process of creation is so strange sometimes. not only can something that you think is awful be instead widely appreciated, but sometimes what really is awful at an intermediate stage will somehow evolve into something really cool as you massage it further.

gruseom 15y ago
I question this. I'd like to see an example of something that really is awful, as opposed to just appearing awful, turning into something great later. I think it is likely that the seed of eventual greatness is present from the beginning. Of course it may appear awful along the way, even to the creator, have many incomplete aspects and so on. But is there an example of something great that didn't start out with its greatness somehow latent, in a way that can be traced in retrospect? Here's an interesting case study, the first public performance by Rage Against The Machine: http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/rage_against_the_machines_first_public_performace_1991/ http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/rage_against_the_mach.... I'm not personally a fan, but certainly they grew into something a lot of people feel is great, and the seed of it is very clear in this performance.
- jal278 15y ago
  I bet there was a time that the individual musicians in Rage Against the Machine were pretty terrible, and that the songs they created when they were in a nascent stage were pretty terrible as well. Whether from the first time one of these artists picked up a guitar you could retrospectively identify latent aspects of their style that would later make them so innovative, I'm not sure, but I would doubt it. While their first public performance might have been pretty good, I'm guessing that their first band practice would have been pretty terrible and disheartening.
- davvid 15y ago
  > I question this. I'd like to see an example of something that really is awful, as opposed to just appearing awful, turning into something great later. I think it is likely that the seed of eventual greatness is present from the beginning. "greatness" is sometimes in the eye of the beholder. For example, awful movies can sometimes gain a cult following. Two movies come to mind: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprechaun_2#Reception http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprechaun_2#Reception http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Room_(film) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Room_(film)
TeMPOraL 15y ago
Reminds me of: "The middle of every successful project looks like a disaster." – Rosabeth Moss Cantor

by jal278 15y ago

gruseom 15y ago

I question this. I'd like to see an example of something that really is awful, as opposed to just appearing awful, turning into something great later. I think it is likely that the seed of eventual greatness is present from the beginning. Of course it may appear awful along the way, even to the creator, have many incomplete aspects and so on. But is there an example of something great that didn't start out with its greatness somehow latent, in a way that can be traced in retrospect? Here's an interesting case study, the first public performance by Rage Against The Machine: http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/rage_against_the_machines_first_public_performace_1991/ http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/rage_against_the_mach.... I'm not personally a fan, but certainly they grew into something a lot of people feel is great, and the seed of it is very clear in this performance.

jal278 15y ago
I bet there was a time that the individual musicians in Rage Against the Machine were pretty terrible, and that the songs they created when they were in a nascent stage were pretty terrible as well. Whether from the first time one of these artists picked up a guitar you could retrospectively identify latent aspects of their style that would later make them so innovative, I'm not sure, but I would doubt it. While their first public performance might have been pretty good, I'm guessing that their first band practice would have been pretty terrible and disheartening.
davvid 15y ago
> I question this. I'd like to see an example of something that really is awful, as opposed to just appearing awful, turning into something great later. I think it is likely that the seed of eventual greatness is present from the beginning. "greatness" is sometimes in the eye of the beholder. For example, awful movies can sometimes gain a cult following. Two movies come to mind: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprechaun_2#Reception http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprechaun_2#Reception http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Room_(film) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Room_(film)

TeMPOraL 15y ago

Reminds me of: "The middle of every successful project looks like a disaster." – Rosabeth Moss Cantor