The Accidental Masterpiece: An Introduction.

A quick note before we dive into the post- I am very determined to keep up with my blogging this year, even if it is the death of me (and you can quote me on this!).

Now, onto The Accidental Masterpiece. There were a few main things that really stuck out to me about Kimmelman's writing:

• As silly as it may sound, Kimmelman has such a talent for writing.

           
           Michael Kimmelman has such beautiful, poignant style when it comes to writing. I mean, he must obviously be good at what he does-- after all, he writes for The New York Times--but I always think that there is a difference between pieces being well-written, and pieces being beautifully written. Kimmelman manages to do both in just the introduction of his book. I found myself feeling relaxed, and almost even comforted by not only the ideas of art he has expressed, but also by how he's expressing them. It's delightful to read gorgeous, intelligent writing that doesn't make my head spin because of its density.  He's not looking to impress, he's just looking to share his thoughts in a personable way, and I love it. It makes me want more.

• I love his idea that "creating, collection, and even just appreciating art can make living a daily masterpiece."

         
           The notion that art extends beyond being at the canvas, having the pen in hand, or being on the stage is something I've never acknowledged much. I've always thought that for something to be considered art, it must be you making it the physical product- that you must be producing something in order to have an artistic experience. But the more I've thought about the above quote, the more I've realized that I'm wrong in my thinking. I've even had little artistic experiences without being directly involved in the making in any way, shape or form. After we saw Hedwig and the Angry Inch last year, I came out of the theater moved to the point of tears. The show didn't leave my mind for weeks, and had deeply, deeply resonated with me. Who is to say that is not part of the art of the show?

• Finally, I find what Kimmelman has to say on the topic of being an amateur versus being a professional in the art world to be just wonderful.

         
           The line that stays with me most from his section on the topic is "true professionals stay amateurs at heart, keeping a lid on the cynicism and irony that can pass for sophistication in some circles." Essentially, he's saying that amateurs do what they do out of love, and professionals do it because that's what they get paid to do. But the people who keep up with what they love and have passion for, and also have the skills of a professional in the field are people who have really made it.  This part strikes me as having something to do with passion, which is something I think about on a regular basis. I'm constantly trying to evaluate where the most passion in me lies (I have a lot of love for a lot of things, and it's hard to throw myself into one thing without missing something else quite a bunch), and worrying about if I'm good enough at one thing to have the confidence to do it. The feeling I'm getting from Kimmelman, however, is to keep loving what you love and to do it at full capacity. That's something I really needed to hear, and will need to hear a few more times before it sinks in.

This introduction was excellent, and I am excited for the rest of this book.