Not For Everyone

I’ve had the pleasure of working with some awesome creatives over the years. Incredible musicians, photographers, sound engineers, dancers, tech gurus, writers, DJs, makeup artists, graphic designers, producers, code geniuses, filmmakers, composers, teachers and coaches. Each person had their own influences, preferences and ways of being. They liked what they liked and did their things in the ways that only they could. And there is serious power in that.

We like whatever we like, and part of the joy of being human is having the autonomy of our own preferences and decisions. What a boring place the world would be if we all created and/or enjoyed the same things in the same ways.

Diversity is one of the spices of life after all.

It’s clear that some people like their lives a little spicier than others, but in my opinion, that’s cool too. Do you! Allow yourself the pleasure of liking whatever you like, without judgement or criticism.

Over the years, I’ve encountered people with strong opinions about various types of art as though one medium is somehow better than another (they aren’t, they’re just different). And even within certain mediums, there can be striation and attempts at classification that can border into judgment territory. I encountered some of that at a writing conference I went to recently and found it surprising.

I’m relatively new to the literary world so I’m still learning the ropes there, the ways of being, the colloquialisms, etc., but I was truly surprised at some people’s reactions when they learned I write paranormal romance and urban fantasy. When they found out, several people went from lauding my “powerful insights” and “poetic prose” to making comments about the stats around salability for romance and fantasy as though it was the nicest thing they could think of to say about genre fiction. It happened so frequently, it really got me thinking.

What about the people who enjoy genre fiction? Or any artform for that matter?

I began my vocal career as a Celtic singer. I think it goes without saying that Celtic music, like any other genre, is not for everyone. And genre fiction, like any other artform, isn’t for everyone either. The same goes for all kinds of art, from modern dance and cubism to ikebana and film noir. Aside from water, air, and sunshine, nothing is for everyone. And to disparage any form of art is in some ways to disparage the beholder – the reader, the listener, the player, the viewer.

Since I spent years performing music that wasn’t considered mainstream (you wouldn’t have heard it on most radio channels outside of St. Patrick’s Day), I already have a solid grasp on the fact that my art isn’t for everyone. I also have a deep understanding that the people who like it, really like it! So, it’s not like my feelings were hurt when some people at a conference were kind of standoffish regarding what I like to create with words. But I couldn’t shake the thought, what are we saying about someone when we disparage the very thing they enjoy?

From Brussels sprouts to Jesus, it’s hard for me to imagine intentionally insulting anyone for liking whatever they’re into (I mean, what’s the point?). But when we insult the very thing a person likes, is there an implication of judgment in there? Are we passing second-hand insults?

Just some things I’m thinking about lately. In truth, I love that people enjoy all kinds of things, even if they’re not things I’m overly interested or invested in (like American football, I’m not really a fan – but I’m not dissing it, or the people who enjoy it). There are many things I’m into, and many things I’m not. So, I absolutely get that what we do and create isn’t for everyone either, and that’s totally cool. My music can live on dedicated channels and playlists, my books can (eventually) live in the “Dude, where’s your shirt?” department of the bookstores (that’s my little joke, it’s not a real department, but that would be fun), my short fiction and poetry can be scattered across a variety of journals (because none of them are any one thing), and my encouragement for creatives can live on newsletters, blogs and right here on my journal. The people who dig what I’m doing, who like my art, my music, my writing, can find what they prefer and enjoy it and leave the rest. It’s all good. More than good, it’s wonderful.

Here’s to creating what we enjoy. To following our curiosity and delight, and letting it inform our lives in the ways we each find best for us. To doing our things in the ways that only we can. None of us (or our art) are for everyone, and that’s a beautiful thing. I hope you’ll keep creating, and keep allowing yourself the pleasure of liking whatever it is that you like.