Worthy

In this Bloutcher

• Worthy
• Up for a Book Review?
  
• Announcements
• Important documentary
  

Worthy

It's the beginning of a New Year and it feels strange to write the number 2011. I don't know if you share the sense of being in a science fiction future whenever you write down this date but to me it's just plain weird.

So as we begin this weird feeling year I'd like to pose a question which, at the end of this blurb, you will see has direct relevance to some choices you may make in 2011. Here's the question: How do you evaluate a work of art? How do you know if it is "good?" How do you know if it "succeeds?" (Okay, three questions. They're really the same question anyway.)

In the world of art this is a very important question and, of course, it triggers endless debate. This has been an especially pertinent question since the emergence of "modern" art when the old rules no longer seemed to hold water and the new stuff being produced by cubists and fauvists, abstractionists and expressionists had no prior reference points. When anything is possible in art how do you determine if a particular work is really good or just a gimmick? For instance, how do you evaluate "abstract" art? Do you simply say "Well, I like. I find it appealing. And therefore it succeeds for me."

Well, not to push your buttons, but I do NOT think personal preference is a good enough criteria to evaluate a work of art. So let me call on a third party for some insight.

Henry James, the great American writer, once suggested that there are three criteria for evaluating a work of art.

• What was the artist's aim in the work?
• Did s/he achieve her/his aim?
• Was it worth the effort?
  

Now, let's face it, sometimes it's difficult to discern an artist's aim but if we are able then the first two questions are meaningful. They are internal to the creative process. My aim is to have a canvas vibrate with bold colors, I state. I use bold colors. The canvas vibrates. I have therefore succeeded in my aim according to the first two questions, I claim.

But then comes the tough part. James is asking if the aim was worthy of the effort. Was it truly ambitious? Was it aspirational? Was it meaningful? Did it challenge us in some large way? To me this is the seminal question. It is not good enough for art to be pretty or appeal in some visceral way to my senses or even to be professionally crafted. For art to be fully meaningful and to live up to its highest purpose it needs to challenge, inspire, teach, disturb us in a way that requires us to reflect deeply on its meaning and effect. That's why the great artists are great. They meet all three of James's criteria.

I raise this question because I think it has direct relevance to our lives in this strange feeling year of 2011. And here's the connection I promised you. How will you evaluate your efforts at the end of the year? It's not simply about whether you are focused on specific goals. Or that you achieve those goals. It's really about the last question: Are your goals worthy of the effort? Do your goals arise out of your highest purpose and best self?

Announcements:

• Kathy and I have been fortunate to receive some terrific endorsements and book reviews for Becoming a Life Change Artist. We have been told that having good book reviews on the Amazon website helps with sales. So if you are up to writing a brief review of the book we would be most appreciative!! To write a review click here. Then scroll down to the "Customer Reviews" section and click on "Create Your Own Review" on the right side of the page. Thank you!!
  

• If you will be in New England on February 15th I will be doing a two hour program for the International Coach Federation New England chapter between 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm entitled "What the Great Masters of Art Can Teach Us About a New Coaching Paradigm." To learn more please click here.
• Earlier today I did an interview with Lisa Kanda and Deb Frey on their Blog Talk Radio program on the theme of "Leadership in Turbulent Times; What the Great Masters of Art Can Teach Us." To listen to the 30 minute interview click here.
  
• For those in the New York City area I will be speaking at the 92nd Street Y Tribeca on March 3rd at 12 noon. The title of the talk is "Becoming a Life Change Artist." The program is being co-sponsored by The Transition Network. For more information and/or to register click here.

Important Documentary

I want to put a plug in for a very important independent documentary entitled "Race to Nowhere." This is a "should not miss" film that takes a hard look at our educational system and its impact on creativity. The film is not available through general release but you can locate a screening in your area by linking here to a screening near you. I want to thank Lauren Perlmutter for urging me to see the film. She runs an amazingly creative arts education program called Art 2 Grow On in the Los Angeles area. You should definitely check it out here.