P3D Re: Competitions

[Bruce Springsteen <bsspringsteen@xxxxxxxxx>]

For me, an important distinction is the difference between competition
and exhibition.

Competition doesn't really motivate or gratify me.  Pitting
essentially artistic efforts directly against one another is not the
way my aesthetic sensibilities work.  The mind rebels at choosing
between a close-up of bugs, an abstract "light painting" and humorous
kid-pic, for example.  What is the basis for comparison?  Technical
facility?  Ho-hum!  Individual judges' general tastes?  How arbitrary!

Being accepted in an exhibition, on the other hand, is an
acknowledgment of a certain level of excellence, without imposing a
meaningless rivalry between apples, oranges, mangoes and grapes.  And
it still allows you to see and learn from the work of others and to
hear their reactions to yours.

To the argument that direct competition motivates you to do your best
work: I have to insist that my desire to make and view the best and
most creative pictures I can is already as high as it needs to be.  To
try to add enthusiasm by getting my competitive juices going would be
like trying to become "extra pregnant", or to see "deeper than
infinity".  It does not compute.  What I need is not more motivation
to do well - I need to find out how to get there.

None of this means that I can't enjoy competitions, just that the
outcome means *very* little compared to the enjoyment of sharing views
and and getting new ideas - and I don't have to compete for those
things.  I want people to look at my pictures, not the ribbons on my
wall.

Bruce (Happy in the slow lane, looking at the scenery.) Springsteen. 
_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com


------------------------------