Majid Ibrahim
This chapter delves into topics that I have never thought about before as a person not pursuing art as a profession. The author shows how society doesn’t always make it easy for artists to make art. Artists must make work that is both new and easy to understand hence earning society’s approval. It’s a tricky balance, and feeling like you have to meet these standards can stop you from being creative while not conforming to them will get you weird looks.
This ties into the difference between acceptance and approval. I found it interesting the way he describes these 2. I understood acceptance as essentially a “green flag” from the already established artists while approval is whether or not the general public likes it. When the author explained the difference between them I was instantly reminded of the rotten tomatoes rating system for movies where there would be a rating from hardcore critics and a rating from the public. Artists will try to find their own unique balance between acceptance and approval, hoping to make work that speaks to both the artistic community and the general public.