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> they tend to be careful to not offend each other Do they? People are consciously holding back internal floodgates of offensive ideas that would otherwise flo

> they tend to be careful to not offend each other Do they? People are consciously holding back internal floodgates of offensive ideas that would otherwise flood their peers? I don't think artists and genuinely creative people are doing that among their own group. It's encouraged and celebrated when artists express original, challenging ideas. That's the whole point of being an artist. It's why social groups among artists, writers and musicians are so much fun because of the inherent acceptance and good will associated with "risky" ideas. Artists are adventurers, stomping new ground. They are not egg-shell treading, well-behaved clones. As for solitude, obviously it has benefits. I don't think it matters though. Each artist or creative person finds their own ways and methods.

jongjong 4y ago
I don't find modern artists to be as creative as those from earlier generations. Maybe it's because they are over-socialized nowadays. Many people's idea of 'risky' these days isn't actually risky. Risky ideas imply that you would normally get kicked out of your social group and be treated as a pariah for having these ideas - This was definitely a reality for the breakthrough artists of earlier generations because the social mold was so rigid and people were so easy to offend. Artists were treated as a special category; people who could live well outside of the social norms without being shunned by society; they were forgiven because of their high creativity. IMO, many modern artists only project a facade of risk but in fact, they are calculating and know exactly how far they can push things; they almost never go beyond that point, in the rare cases that they do, they will issue a public apology. They project the illusion of being controversial while in fact their repertoire gets safer and safer as they gain more acceptance. Almost all of them are living well within modern social norms; the successful ones are those who embrace the power structures, not those who confront them.

jongjong 4y ago

I don't find modern artists to be as creative as those from earlier generations. Maybe it's because they are over-socialized nowadays. Many people's idea of 'risky' these days isn't actually risky. Risky ideas imply that you would normally get kicked out of your social group and be treated as a pariah for having these ideas - This was definitely a reality for the breakthrough artists of earlier generations because the social mold was so rigid and people were so easy to offend. Artists were treated as a special category; people who could live well outside of the social norms without being shunned by society; they were forgiven because of their high creativity. IMO, many modern artists only project a facade of risk but in fact, they are calculating and know exactly how far they can push things; they almost never go beyond that point, in the rare cases that they do, they will issue a public apology. They project the illusion of being controversial while in fact their repertoire gets safer and safer as they gain more acceptance. Almost all of them are living well within modern social norms; the successful ones are those who embrace the power structures, not those who confront them.