omg this is so true! i am currently obsessed with goodreads (and I'll be honest, I 'm still a teenager). it doesn't feel genuine sometimes, i just feel like i have to write a long and super smart review to perform to my friends on that app. feels kinda vague and fake.... we have to prioritize processing deep feelings rather than fast consumption...
i'm so glad to have come across, especially when it feels like, more than ever, that art has become a commodity, something to toss back like a can of coke and discarded. it was part of the reason i quit drawing for so long--it didn't feel "worth it." why bother?
so i started my art practice again, but this has made it deeper...more sacred (although i already felt it sacred). healing or transformative would perhaps be the better term.
Loved this! I do keep a list of all the books I read this year and same for books but it's on my Notes app because it's just to keep track if I am reading/watching as many movies as I did the previous year (both make me happy and make me feel grounded) so if I am not, then I know I am not having enough alone time. We already have too much comparative social media. I don't need any more.
Not remembering things but remembering how it made you feel is the realest thing ever. Every time I recommend a book to someone they always ask the inevitable question of what the books about and I can almost never give them a certain answer, just that I remember loving it.
this is so well-written!! i resonate with this a lot because I also often don't remember much after watching a movie or reading a book, but I always remember how it made me feel
I really enjoyed reading this, and I totally agree that you're not supposed to consumer art like fast form media. But my understanding of this new description was admitting how entrenched the individual has gotten in the media system that all they can now do is consume. I felt it's been used more as an admission for the individual's inability to interact with art rather than diminishing the art they're consuming.
This is so true, I always want to log a movie after I watch on letter box but truly cannot remember for the life of me. I always end up giving every movie I watch 4 1/2 stars bc every movie I watch makes me feel some sort of feeling. I get you and I see you and I hear you!
Scale rating has always been so difficult for me too !! Especially in having a ‘book Instagram account’ ie something would be a 2 star book according to the Goodreads brigade, but I had such an emotional experience with the book, based on where I am in my life, that I may not have had a month or a year ago. Does that make it a 5? How do I scale my emotions to fit into stars??!!
this is so well-written and genuine! i’ve found myself in such a similar place, constantly worrying that my letterboxd top 4 weren’t ’cerebral’ enough, and always checking what my friends had rated films before i gave them a rating (because god forbid i have a different opinion). it’ll be a long journey before i start truly doing everything for the sake of myself, my memories, and my own feelings, but it will all be worth it :)
great take! i think it's because of this that "cinephile" is such a negative term. its so often used to describe very pretentious movie watchers who religiously log their letterbxd that its ruined the whole purpose and meaning of making and watching film.
absolutely loved this!! I often find myself thinking about the intersection between art and social media nowadays, and you offered a fresh, optimistic take that I needed to hear! There is so much power in perception and it’s so important to not get bogged down by all the negativity and remember the heart of art. My friend Ella (above this comment haha) sent this to me because it reminded her of a piece I wrote on this topic— ‘I’m an Artist (striked-through) I’m a Content Creator,’ which is an essay about how I as a filmmaker am having difficulty navigating the social media intersection. If that sounds interesting, I would love to hear your thoughts on it so we can continue the exploration of ideas! But again, thank you so much for such a thoughtful piece on the issue! I needed it! :)
thank you michelle! i'm glad this resonated with you, and i'll definitely check out your essay as well! love to see how we have similar outlooks on this topic :)
beautiful thoughts! I especially love how you said art is meant to be interacted with, not consumed. I love to think of art as a never-ending conversation between artist and artwork, artwork and viewer, artist and viewer...because we as viewers always bring our own thoughts and lived experiences to the process of "looking at" art in a way that changes it. thank you for sharing such great writing!
not remembering what it was but how it felt is such a truly artistic experience I love how you communicated everything you did
i know right!! thank you :)
omg this is so true! i am currently obsessed with goodreads (and I'll be honest, I 'm still a teenager). it doesn't feel genuine sometimes, i just feel like i have to write a long and super smart review to perform to my friends on that app. feels kinda vague and fake.... we have to prioritize processing deep feelings rather than fast consumption...
YES!! This!! Consumer culture is getting so out of shame and it is so so hard to watch
i'm so glad to have come across, especially when it feels like, more than ever, that art has become a commodity, something to toss back like a can of coke and discarded. it was part of the reason i quit drawing for so long--it didn't feel "worth it." why bother?
so i started my art practice again, but this has made it deeper...more sacred (although i already felt it sacred). healing or transformative would perhaps be the better term.
i'm so glad you got back into it!!
I still used my Google Keep Notes even after discovering Letterboxd.
Loved this! I do keep a list of all the books I read this year and same for books but it's on my Notes app because it's just to keep track if I am reading/watching as many movies as I did the previous year (both make me happy and make me feel grounded) so if I am not, then I know I am not having enough alone time. We already have too much comparative social media. I don't need any more.
i love that!
Not remembering things but remembering how it made you feel is the realest thing ever. Every time I recommend a book to someone they always ask the inevitable question of what the books about and I can almost never give them a certain answer, just that I remember loving it.
ahh thank you so much for sharing! this is such an interesting read, beautifully articulated, and i wholeheartedly agree with every word
this is so well-written!! i resonate with this a lot because I also often don't remember much after watching a movie or reading a book, but I always remember how it made me feel
I really enjoyed reading this, and I totally agree that you're not supposed to consumer art like fast form media. But my understanding of this new description was admitting how entrenched the individual has gotten in the media system that all they can now do is consume. I felt it's been used more as an admission for the individual's inability to interact with art rather than diminishing the art they're consuming.
This is so true, I always want to log a movie after I watch on letter box but truly cannot remember for the life of me. I always end up giving every movie I watch 4 1/2 stars bc every movie I watch makes me feel some sort of feeling. I get you and I see you and I hear you!
Scale rating has always been so difficult for me too !! Especially in having a ‘book Instagram account’ ie something would be a 2 star book according to the Goodreads brigade, but I had such an emotional experience with the book, based on where I am in my life, that I may not have had a month or a year ago. Does that make it a 5? How do I scale my emotions to fit into stars??!!
i know, it's so hard for me as well! also do i rate based on how much i liked it emotionally or how structurally?
this is so well-written and genuine! i’ve found myself in such a similar place, constantly worrying that my letterboxd top 4 weren’t ’cerebral’ enough, and always checking what my friends had rated films before i gave them a rating (because god forbid i have a different opinion). it’ll be a long journey before i start truly doing everything for the sake of myself, my memories, and my own feelings, but it will all be worth it :)
that's so relatable, i'm guilty of doing that as well! but unlearning that takes time. thank you :)
great take! i think it's because of this that "cinephile" is such a negative term. its so often used to describe very pretentious movie watchers who religiously log their letterbxd that its ruined the whole purpose and meaning of making and watching film.
absolutely loved this!! I often find myself thinking about the intersection between art and social media nowadays, and you offered a fresh, optimistic take that I needed to hear! There is so much power in perception and it’s so important to not get bogged down by all the negativity and remember the heart of art. My friend Ella (above this comment haha) sent this to me because it reminded her of a piece I wrote on this topic— ‘I’m an Artist (striked-through) I’m a Content Creator,’ which is an essay about how I as a filmmaker am having difficulty navigating the social media intersection. If that sounds interesting, I would love to hear your thoughts on it so we can continue the exploration of ideas! But again, thank you so much for such a thoughtful piece on the issue! I needed it! :)
thank you michelle! i'm glad this resonated with you, and i'll definitely check out your essay as well! love to see how we have similar outlooks on this topic :)
so glad it resonated with me as well!! and awesome! I look forward to it! :) <3
beautiful thoughts! I especially love how you said art is meant to be interacted with, not consumed. I love to think of art as a never-ending conversation between artist and artwork, artwork and viewer, artist and viewer...because we as viewers always bring our own thoughts and lived experiences to the process of "looking at" art in a way that changes it. thank you for sharing such great writing!
yes i completely agree! thank you so much (from one silver earring girl to another :)