The Points of the Creative Artists’ Code: Twenty-four - You are not the viewpoint
June 27, 2008
It’s the simple things we remember to forget, and we should not. Of course, there are times when we simply don’t realize that there are simple things to know that precede all other forms, we’re usually in such a rush to know the cream, that we ignore the fundamentals that resolve all things.
In the Creative Industries the viewpoint you are communicating from is not necessarily your viewpoint. It is where you choose to communicate from in order to create a specific effect. Others don’t always understand this and identify you by that viewpoint which may or may not equate with your own. When you understand this and can get them to understand this too, then you will achieve a greater degree of understanding. You are not the viewpoint.
If you write a song about hate, it may be thought that you hate.
Write a book that explores an alternative view of religion and people will assume you are anti-religion.
Paint a picture about some aspect of wealth and people may well think that you’re anti-money.
People make these snap judgments without any further consideration of what it means to be an artist who is examining life and circumstance. They interpret through their own filters of prejudice and opinion, and assume that because you have such-and-such an experience, that you are therefore thinking a certain way, i.e. that you are the experience.
It never occurs to them that you’ve moved on beyond that simply by considering the experience.
Then too, when you as a Creative Artist adopt a specific identity as a role and character in a story or script, or poem, they assume that this is your personal identity. They may be right. But then again, it may simply be that you chose to adopt that identify in order to examine some particular aspect of society. The notion that a work is a personal expression then, sometimes works against us.
It is not that it is not a personal expression. It is. But, one chose to adopt a certain position - a viewpoint - from which to communicate in order to develop the message you want to communicate.
A communication in art is about the creation of an effect or no communication takes place. A no-effect, may be a communication, but then it has to be intentional, which is to say, intended.
Grok the effect and you have the ability to grok the intention and anatomy of the communication.
The effect is something that occurs at the point of reception with the viewer, listener, reader. The message is sent to them. They have a viewpoint. What occurs is about their viewpoint to some degree and their viewpoints must be taken into account if the viewpoint you are communicating about is to work. The to, from and about viewpoint classficcation is a deceptively simple system of organizing the viewpoints involved in creativity and communication, but it requires thought to apply it successfully. When communication is successful it is all of these concepts that are present at any one time.
There’s quite a bit more to say about this and I have written more material about it, from a craft perspective in other material that will be published separately at a later date. The main purpose of this point of the code is to provide you with a way to deal with those people who think you are what you create.
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I also think it’s interesting to write from a perspective that’s not your own…this goes a long way to help you understand others. Too often are people critical of a view point they don’t take the time to understand.
We as creative individuals should not only learn to separate ourselves from our viewpoints, but to also learn to separate others from their viewpoints. Even if we don’t like a persons view point, we can still like them…and respect them as a person.
—This may or may not reflect my actual viewpoint
Thanks for your response to this idea, Terry. The notion of separating ourselves from our viewpoints is at the heart of what this particular code point article is about, and you’re also right about the fact that separating others from their viewpoints is also a valuable way to grok. Love that last line of your comment! LOL
[...] identical with the artist.” Sounds a lot like “You are not the viewpoint” from Code Point 24. It appears to me that not very many people understand this, that they assume that what they read [...]