Whenever I hear the term, "taking a risk," bandied about in creative circles, it makes me wince. A guy jumping off a cliff into water is a risk. The water might be 30 feet deep or 3 feet deep. The risk is that it's 3 feet deep and there goes your cliff jumping career!
Writing a script or performing a part doesn't seem so risky in comparison. Okay, maybe you forgot to secure the rights to a story from another source so you risk getting sued. Maybe the show you are performing in rests on the quality of your performance and if it's a bad one, then the audience will stay away in droves and the producers lose money. That's a risk for the producers. Unless of course you were thinking of being hired by them again.
Maybe, because we are sensitive, paranoid, creatures by nature, we perceive writing something provocative or controversial as a risk. I can understand being hesitant about doing a nude scene in a film or play if you happen to have a life long aversion to Bally's. But what are you risking, really? Embarrassment? Okay, so go cry and do something else next week.
I think of risk as something life threatening or career threatening rather than a bruised ego or hurt feelings. True, great writers and performers reach into their core and channel deep-seated experiences into their work to make it resonate with the audience. But then, isn't that the creative person's job? If the job is done well there's no harm in saying, "Job well done," or "good work," or "that really hit home for me." Compliments are welcome. But don't get it twisted. The work is not risky. It is either well done, an acquired taste, or it blows.
So if you are an artist working on a project, be honest with yourself. Are you really taking a risk? Are you being pretentious? Or are you really trying to do good, satisfying work?
Well, I took a real risk just reading this blog. Would it be good? Would I obtain something from it that I could take to my grave? Or, would it just amuse me? Well, 2 out of 3 is not bad!
ReplyDeleteI think it is a reminder of all the risks that we face on a day-to-day basis. Every time you breath there is a risk that, that breath may be your last, and if it is, should you have savored it more? And since this may be my last hour or minute I don't want to risk wasting it so I'm signing off!