Don't Do That
I'm writing a song.
It's not the usual kind of thing I write, most of the stuff I do is instrumental and more classical than anything. Although I am a writer, lyrics aren't really one of my strong points, so I usually let the song tell the story.
On the other hand, I once wrote a song about a fridge that lived in a recording studio, and was named "Roy". It was a famous fridge among those in the know, so I made it into a bizarre love song. You could say I have a rather twisted talent for making one thing sound like something else.
My husband doesn't like that I'm writing this new song. I sang a bit of it last night for him and he said, "It's too cheesy". Well, that's kind of the point. It's meant to be, in a kind of Sarah Silverman way, minus the racism and poo obsession.
He wants me to work on something more worthwhile. Something more serious. Something less like funny and more like real.
In the past I would have been mortified that he didn't like what I'd written, and ditch it completely. I would have been relieved, thought myself saved from further embarrassment, and started anew. Today, though... today I'm going through with this one. I like it. I'm writing it for someone else, someone who is not him. I wrote "Roy" for him, and I'm betting most people would not have thought that was a brilliant piece of work, but he loved it.
So maybe I'm wrong. Or maybe he's just too critical. Or maybe I'm being misunderstood. I don't know. I do know that my current reaction is different to what it would have been in the very recent past.
What do you do when you're faced with someone telling you that what you're creating is not up to their standards? How do you handle criticism?
Comments
but i bet i would love your new song. I love the sarah silverman show, her sense of humor just cracks me up
Also, that's not a very helpful comment: "work on something worthwhile." Unless it's picking your nose or flicking toe cheese off your feet, then your efforts are worthwhile, dammit.
Also, I hope you post your song up when you are done.
For what it's worth, I think it's worthwhile to check your blog, in the hopes of hearing a love song to fridge called Roy.
on another note:
whatever happened to that white dog poo
from the 70s?
it went away as mysteriously as it came~
Criticism can be good and can be bad. I usually listen and try to put it into context and not take it to be rejection or them crushing me. Sometimes there is something in there that I can take away and use. However, when creating, other people do not have the same vision we have so, of course, they are not going to understand what we are trying to do/accomplish. They also may not have the same tastes as us. I find sometimes that my hubby can't see what I see....and he often turns up his nose at things or just looks confused....and then when he sees the finished/end product, he usually, more often than not, likes it. If my vision is strong enough during creation....I just ignore other people's opinions. Its my vision....and my creative process....often lonely....but all mine. Don't let someone else take that away from you.
If it's any help I once had a guy come to see me with a demo. The two tracks I will never forget had amazing titles but that is where the creativity ended. I hope he is a headline writer. They were: Has anyone seen my Dawg? and memorably I hope I don't die before episode 9 of Star Wars.
Keep going.