Art Appreciation

 I've recently been getting into discussions about art appreciation.  Through theses discussions, I've realized that I have a very very strict sense of art.  It's probably not like everybody else's.  For one, I am very critical of my work, and as such, am very critical of others work as well.  This is a flaw for me as well as a strength.  The flaw being that I look at some works and think that they are not that special.  Most people will absolutely love them, while I, on the other hand, take a quick look, and if nothing impresses me, I'll move on.  This is bad.  I don't appreciate others visions or creativity.  For this reason, I may be viewed as an elitist - which is something I never want to be considered.  

Oh the other hand, my being critical of myself makes me constantly want to better myself.  I learn something on every shoot.  I want to get better.  I don't want to settle for a mediocre picture.  I want to minimize all problems in a picture before I even take it. Photoshop is a great tool, but why not spend a few seconds fixing something before you take the picture?  I will also say that I am so critical of myself sometimes that I want to give it all up.  I want to just flat out quit.  I look at people such as Chase Jarvis, Nick Onken, Zack Arias, Bert Stephani  , and others that I aspire to be, and get overwhelmed thinking I will never get there.  It's really a tough place to be.  I'm at the point in my life where I have to decide if I want to go for it or not.  How bad do I want it?  Do I have what it takes?

I would most likely argue that art is in the eye of the beholder (cliche, I know).  That just because I don't like it doesn't mean that its not a great work - it just does nothing for me.  Thats all.  It doesn't peak to me, it doesn't resonate with me.  And that is my goal - to create images that resonate with others.