I feel like we are desperately losing the spirit of art. Every day, every new indie project that gets created and released, I feel like people slip more and more into the mindset that these are all products meant to be consumed. That they must be perfect and without flaw, that they must appeal to and make sense to everyone, especially to them... But that feels completely antithetical to art itself.
It's not that criticism is invalid or useless, but I feel we're, as a society, crossing a threshold where it's no longer earnest criticism, but rather dismissive entitlement. "This doesnt appeal to me, so it is definitively, wholly bad, and if you like it youre stupid/ridiculous/bigoted/whatever."
But people should be allowed to create art in the way they want. There are so many insane, unreasonable expectations on indie creators these days, because when their projects get big, they're treated with the same expectations as massive, multi-million dollar, professional productions that we are used to seeing and consuming.
It's becoming honestly scary and unsustainable to be an indie creator nowadays. If your writing is a little messy or if something doesnt land perfectly or EVEN if people just dont like the WAY you chose to convey your message, all of your work is deemed useless and irredeemable.
People are treating creators of their OWN ART like they dont know what they're doing. Instead of trying to think about what the author or artist might be INTENDING in what they're depicting, they jump to conclusions and assume the creator just isnt as thoughtful, open-minded, careful, or smart as they are.
It's just scary watching the spirit of art itself be completely demolished before my very eyes, as an indie creator and artist who wants to create stories that may be a little unconventional at times, and as someone who cares so deeply about art and the spirit of art itself.
This consumer-based mindset that gives the artists themselves so little wiggle room or benefit of the doubt is just terrifying.
