Quote:
Originally posted by David
I don't share your opinion that the more an artist refines his initial burst of activity, the less honest the work will be. That reduces art to some sort of self-imposed primitivism. Art is the formalized expression of experience, not the experience itself. The artist takes the experience (which presumably generated some sort of emotion in him) & rearranges it, puts it into some sort of form -- that's the artistic impulse. The members of Fleetwood Mac, at some point in their creation process, need to refine, recast, revise, etc., & I'm sure all of them do to varying degrees. That part of the process is virtually inherent in the studio/recording experience.
|
Interesting comments, David, and I don't disagree with anything you said.
I guess it's just that fine line that all artists (poets, musicians, etc) have to tread... knowing when you need to refine and/or edit something, and when you should leave it as it is.
Personally, I tend to find that the more I think about something, the less natural it becomes. If I try to rework something to "make it better," something usually ends up getting lost in the process.
There are a few cases where it was definitely to the betterment of the poem, but far more times when I should have left well enough alone. "Warts and all," as they say.
But my experiences in those regards, might be completely different from that of millions of others... which is why I always enjoy these dialogues.
