I think when making art, it is important to see bad art too, not just the masterpieces. Of course, I don’t mean to denigrate what people make, but lots of art does not resonate with people. Finding an audience is an important part of making a career in art. Some people don’t like the Mona Lisa.
If the only paintings I had ever seen were the Sistine Chaple frescos, then I would never pick up a paint brush. It would be too intimidating. I have read some amazing books, but if that was all I read, I don’t think I could put a word to the page. The way they get their characters to work just right.
Conversely, I have read some books that I hated. Some have been important, or popular, or just plain terrible. Those books were important to my writing journey too. After reading them I would think ‘Man, I can do better than that.’
Read enough terrible books in a while and suddenly I had enough confidence to write. My work might not be the best things ever written, but they are better than the garbage I’ve read. A million books are published every year. Plenty of them are terrible.
Reading greatness gives me something to strive for. Reading terrible stuff gives me the confidence to get started. So don’t give up on bad books, let them fuel your drive.
Michael Frutig 