Yora
Maester
This is a subject that I am feeling very uncertain about and that is quite rightfully somewhat controversial among writers and audiences. I know what I want and think I should do it, but I do feel somewhat uneasy about it none the less.
So let's put myself up on the chopping block to give a concrete example. Every other time I sit down to think about what I want to create, I come back to remembering how huge an impact Star Wars had on me when it comes to what I consider the perfect execution of a style and atmosphere that resonates with me the most. So much that I simply have to admit that what I really want to create is a Star Wars without the space ships, droids, and blasters.
On the one hand, I fully support the notion that if you are an artist and you feel the need to create something that most of the world considers a stupid idea, you should embrace it fully and have faith that you will find your audience that shares your passion. Yet at the same time, it also feels wrong. Do you really create something of your own that is meaningful and relevant when your focus is to copy an existing creation of someone else? Or are you just riding on someone elses coattails? I see it so many times that a mediocre work has clearly been trying to cash in on a fad started by a great work, both missing what made that work great in the first place and failing to add something else of value.
Taking inspirations is fine and well, but when it becomes apparent that a work is to a large degree a copy, audiences tend to react negatively to it. And I am not saying they are bad for doing it, this is my own emotional response as well.
I feel that this is not really a technical question that can be answered in a definitive way. It seems more like an emotional and cultural issue about how we perceive and feel about creativity and artists. So this is less a question looking for an answer and more an invitation to a discussion. I am very interested how others think about it, and feel about it.
So let's put myself up on the chopping block to give a concrete example. Every other time I sit down to think about what I want to create, I come back to remembering how huge an impact Star Wars had on me when it comes to what I consider the perfect execution of a style and atmosphere that resonates with me the most. So much that I simply have to admit that what I really want to create is a Star Wars without the space ships, droids, and blasters.
On the one hand, I fully support the notion that if you are an artist and you feel the need to create something that most of the world considers a stupid idea, you should embrace it fully and have faith that you will find your audience that shares your passion. Yet at the same time, it also feels wrong. Do you really create something of your own that is meaningful and relevant when your focus is to copy an existing creation of someone else? Or are you just riding on someone elses coattails? I see it so many times that a mediocre work has clearly been trying to cash in on a fad started by a great work, both missing what made that work great in the first place and failing to add something else of value.
Taking inspirations is fine and well, but when it becomes apparent that a work is to a large degree a copy, audiences tend to react negatively to it. And I am not saying they are bad for doing it, this is my own emotional response as well.
I feel that this is not really a technical question that can be answered in a definitive way. It seems more like an emotional and cultural issue about how we perceive and feel about creativity and artists. So this is less a question looking for an answer and more an invitation to a discussion. I am very interested how others think about it, and feel about it.