ebay ponderings

[burntcopper]

Looked to see what people had bid when I got home from work. New bid on one, whereupon I checked their rating, as is normal to make sure they've got a decent record.

...What I don't get is why I have this need to see what they've been buying in the past. It does not avail me to know that they've recently bought baby clothes. Or Tonka toys. Or in one case, a very large beer mug engraved with Mickey Mouse.

Going to poke the Harkness fic. Gah. Have terrible feeling that the stuff I wrote last night just won't fit when subjected to the light of day, or another reader.

Does anyone else get that, the perplexed feeling of 'er, I presume I'm a half decent writer, or that this is a half-decent fic, considering the feedback, I just don't get it myself.' Mind you, I've been like that with most stuff I create, aside from clothing, which can only be worn when it's good and the details are all fabulous. I can tell when my art/writing is a steaming pile of horseshit, and conversely I know when I feel satisfied, I just can't exactly see what it is in the piece that appeals to other people. And yes, this is admittedly a little odd coming from someone who's primarily identified herself through what she draws/paints/writes for 99% of her life, but then it's not like I do it for a job.

Comments

[mingmerciless.livejournal.com]

Because you're just insatiably curious?

[soulstar.livejournal.com]

I just can't exactly see what it is in the piece that appeals to other people

I think what happens to me is that when I've been writing something, it gets to the point where I've been looking at it so long, it ceases to make sense. You lose any sense of objectivity. Maybe it's something like that?

[burntcopper.livejournal.com]

True. Because when reading old fic I haven't looked at for years, it's like reading something by someone else, because you don't have the distinct memories of how it was created. (unlike art, where you *always* remember the triggers and process for each individual piece)

Might also be because art - writing, drawing, whatever - is a subjective form, and it's *all* about opinion.

Whereas clothing - well, it either fits or it doesn't, and if you're re-creating something seen on-screen, the details are correct or they're not. Sometimes you're most of the way there, but you always know it's not quite correct. And so does everyone who knows the subject. There's no grey area.

[soulstar.livejournal.com]

when reading old fic I haven't looked at for years, it's like reading something by someone else

Yes, I know what you mean. Sometimes you need that distance to be able to tell what is and isn't good about something that you've done. I'm actually having this problem at the moment with the Life on Mars fic I've been poking. Bah, frustrating.

(unlike art, where you *always* remember the triggers and process for each individual piece)

Really? That's interesting. Being a non-arty person, I've never experienced that. Although maybe a bit, with music. Hmm.

Whereas clothing ... There's no grey area.
Yeah, for costumes I imagine that must be true, or for something that you've followed a pattern for. You're reproducing something specific. How about for 'new' clothing, though? What if you designed and made something original?

[burntcopper.livejournal.com]

(unlike art, where you *always* remember the triggers and process for each individual piece)

Really? That's interesting. Being a non-arty person, I've never experienced that. Although maybe a bit, with music. Hmm.

Yeah. Maybe not every brushstroke, but I suppose unlike writing it's tied in with physical memory - you were doing this, you were making this brushstroke, this is where you smeared it with the side of your sleeve and then found it looked *so* much better, and so on.

Original stuff? Still has to look good and fit. Plus be hemmed and so on, make sure it moves right and doesn't dig into you. You get the picture in your head, you adapt it as you find out what works, but it's still going to have to follow the rules of fit and form.