LEAVE THE DUNAWAYS ALONE: True Artists and Their "Critics"

LEAVE THE DUNAWAYS ALONE  


True Artists and Their "Critics"

©2010 Robert J. Kuntz


Creators Create...

In my 40+ years of being involved in the RPG industry, winning or being nominated for various awards, published in 10 languages, and having helped start an industry which persists to this very day, I have yet to see critics, naysayers or others of that ilk win an award, publish anything of merit or do much of anything which promotes or furthers understanding of the creative process which creators involve themselves in and that, in turn, the fans of such enterprise appreciate.  That's not to say that such RPG critics cannot accomplish other than what they seem predestined to do.  Look at film critic Roger Ebert, for instance.  His insights have always been edgy and he actually writes books upon the subject.  His bearing can be at once incisive and scholarly because he has invested his total being in a multi-layered process for many, many years, just as professional creators, like myself, have done.

So what does it mean that "Creators Create?"  That's a very broad question encompassing life in its many extremes.  It's similar to asking how you as an individual reader of this blog maintain your own life and its events.  I am in no way capable of answering that for the 200+ subscribers here, nor would I wish to be so enabled to say for certain how all of you manage that.  I could not even begin to imagine, in fact, how that might be accomplished in any singular case.  Life throws us curves and we handle these as these arrive and on those levels as prescribed and thereafter administered to, all perfectly normal and sequential depending on the individual.

The exposed fact here is that creators are just humans with the same obstacles, pains and pleasures that anyone of you have.  They can be eccentric, their moods as artists can change just as yours can, and their paths seem destined, if they are seriously inclined to their craft, to take many variable courses and at differing speeds depending on their creative inclinations and inspirations.  There is no one formula for understanding what creators do or how they do it; and if there was, the near majority would probably not be very good creators as they would adhere to repetitive and uninspired processes that limit their forms, styles and expressions, reducing the whole to a mocked standardization.  They would in fact be less individualistic individuals.

I read many reviews of films and books and have actually become interested in the way critics approach subject matter, especially on the interview level. I would estimate that less than 1 out of 20 reviews or interviews offer critical insight into the intimate processes that any given artist adheres to while creating the subject matter so inspected.  Poor critics are seen to invariably devalue the corpus of an artist’s worth, often interjecting some aged, or passé, angle that they seek to play off of. Many critics and interviewers, unfortunately and because of this, fall under the umbrella description of "yellow journalists."

Most well intentioned multimedia critics can be excused for not peeling back the onion skin of a subject as they are truly ignorant to begin with of the very personal processes used in bringing art to life.  While studying art-via-artist they oftentimes get immersed in template-like approaches to the extent of not recognizing that art forms are mutable things, nuanced particles that can and will change as much as a true artist’s view can.  These pocket critics and interviewers fail to understand that the basis of their quest is to explore with the artist what that means.  I have found the best interviewers, for instance, accomplish this positive course when they become a person who prods the artist to talk rather than themselves leading with uninformed guesswork. Charlie Rose comes to mind as a master of this latter ability.

However, yellow journalism, which is more prevalent on the internet, is an alienating and mostly egoistic form that expresses itself through a biased lens, wholly separated from the truth. It is seen in both interviews and more often in outright critiques and its shadowy forms even find root in the smallest sections of the net among “informed” commentators at blogs, for instance. So disposed, these critics paint a commentary, a misleading picture, for their own selfish reasons.  The true facts are left out, minimized or distorted. They do not check their sources; they often do not cite anything. Their tools are gross exaggeration, innuendo, suggestive and leading fragmentary information, understatement and the use of select and sampled “evidence,” all used to pervert or obscure whole realms of otherwise unassailable truth.

Faye Dunaway--An Artist with a Mission

I am a fervent fan of the actress and director, Faye Dunaway.  I have seen the majority of her films, have read the best of her interviews and have followed her career for some time.  In doing so I formed what I call a professional opinion about her as an individual artist.  Her autobiography, "Looking for Gatsby," is a seminal work exposing the inner workings and thoughts of an artist totally driven to excellence and committed to her craft.  The more I studied her, the less I saw an icon of cinema and the more was exposed about Dunaway the true artist.

But her being an icon is not what interested me; it was in understanding how she became one.  She did not take ICON 101, for instance, so there must have been underlying reasons why she is what she became, and vice versa.

The one thing I noted as I studied her history is that she has been at the butt of criticism on many levels.  At first I thought, "wow," how could this be?  Her works, her acting ranges, her creativity, and her individualism are all enormous.  She’s won many awards; she's been in the film and theater industries for over 50 years.  Then I started reading what her critics were saying.  They were on the main good interviews and criticisms; however, it seems that the bad or indifferent ones were the most talked about. In due course I found that these very things were being forwarded as truths about her and thereafter believed and regurgitated over and over by uninformed people.  Yellow journalism was hard at work with its dirty deed. That her legendary corpus of work had no bearing whatsoever upon these sensation seekers’ participation in this travesty quickly exposed the truth of the matter to me.

I can only assume that many of her critics dislike her for what is her truly admirable "do it my way" stance that she nurtures by way of an inflexible adherence to her art.  At one point, after she had acquired the rights for the play "Master Class," critics assailed her for not bringing the film adaptation of it to market fast enough as she had at first proposed doing.  As an ending point to this latter development the film has been in production (shooting in Michigan) since 2009.  Now that it is in production, only faint notes are posted on it and no interviews are forthcoming for her. The yellow journalists have no sensational matter to work with anymore, you see, but are instead sharpening their dull wits while awaiting its release whereupon they can again parade forth to assail us with their "insights".

The whole point being, we see all too clearly the dehumanization of the artist here.  We are instead fed the artist as an image, the artist as a product, the artist as a predefined and limited source, but rarely do the majority of critics see an artist as an artist or an artist as a human.

By comparison I am very happy to say as a person with a strongly defined individuality reminiscent of Ms. Dunaway's that I have also had my share of critics over the years.  Some of the stuff, to my amusement, never ends, such as things that happened ten years ago, or twenty.  I hear such diatribes as, "He didn’t do this when he said he would," "He backed out of that deal," "He said this and is wrong, I say, wrong!" and similar "profound" insights.  When I answer such criticisms, lo and behold, there is no response forthcoming from these critics, like, "Oh that was the reason?" or "Ah, I understand."  They retreat from the truth, you see, nursing a time when they can once again come forth with their valued insights to reintroduce their informed positions and so enlighten the truly ignorant who will not then fail to "understand" them.

Critics and the "Art" of YACK

Take for instance the following.  A well known blogger recently assailed my creative work habits, and in so doing categorized me as "whimsical" in the way that I publish matter, in due course indicating that he was dissatisfied with the manner in which I publish, though not with the material itself, this being held at many times in this parson’s estimation as highly regarded.

I could only assume by such a strident notion that this person has no idea what it takes just to publish one thing, let alone understand what it takes to do so when one such as myself holds writing and design to be the highest form of my expression, a reflection that I aim to constantly honor as an artist.  This is how I responded:

"First I'd like to address the point of my whimsical nature, or as it appears to be on the surface, that is. This may or may not be the truest assessment--but I do know this: I have upwards of 6 projects going at any given moment; my designs further themselves through a process of sustained creative output equal to each as a whole. For instance, if I reach a dead-end at any point with one, I suspend the design to let the next avenue percolate, and during such times turn to the next, where I go as far with that in the same manner, etc. During that creative immersion I may or may not get the hook back into the first one; and if I do I will then pick that up and go with it. For an example of this gift and curse, I will elucidate upon the design work I did for my adventure, Dark Druids.

When TLG contacted me I said I had the bones of a 1975 Greyhawk outdoor/dungeon addie judged BitD. It was two color maps and apprx. 10 pages of notes and text. Of course TLG pressed me for an approximate page count (something rather absurd in my opinion, but I have thought that since day one while creating, so it is not a personal slight, just an artist's POV; kind of like asking a fine artist when his or her next masterpiece will be finished, and of course the answer is: when it's finished. But publishers will be publishers and true artists remain artists, and somehow in the chaos of pulling and pushing they work together for a shared goal, but not in the same manner over and over as one would assume). In any case, to satisfy the publisher request I stated 32 pages printed (or an "average" sized addie in print).

It ended up, btw, much larger. Why? Because my creative juices would not stop flowing. And so here is a distinction in reverse; if you respect the source, you run with it. By comparison, if the source flees for a moment, I will not force the design to its end and I instead switch out until it returns; and it always returns because of this adopted mode. Therein lies an example for all so inspired, for truly inspired works withstand the test of time, or at least have a better chance of doing so. In any case, I respect the source and in return it respects me. As such inspiration is the only thing relevant in good or better design work, IMO, I will not publish something just to say, "DONE". This will disappoint some who feel that there is some "need" based on other comparisons, but I will say that TLG in Dark Druid's case was overwhelmed and very pleased that I took longer to produce what they considered a true gem."

As to the person's response--well, there was none.  Zero.  I had presumed that there might be at least an open and honest attempt to commiserate, to attempt to understand and to use actual facts as a basis for lucid communication.  But there wasn’t any.

Why do people do this to artists?  For that matter, why do people do that to anyone, to actually take tiny bits of their observations about people and attempt to whole-heartedly sell them to their readers, or to those who will listen to them, as exploded truths?  I for one have no firm answer for this anomaly.  It defies rational discourse as otherwise sane and functioning individuals are used to participating in.  But I'll take a stab at its interpretation through surmise:  Perhaps It paints what that accusing person wants to believe, in fact, and along the way they "exaggerate" their positioned view of things as well as "sensationalize" the particles as a factual story for their readers, this because there supposedly exists some "dirt" and these self-appointed prophets want to prophesy that they have exposed the dirt with their trusty shovel for all to see, for all to gain the same opinion that they have worked so long and hard to uncover.

This form of disinformation is otherwise well known as:

Yellow journalism: journalism that is based upon sensationalism and crude exaggeration.

For it is certainly crude exaggeration to take my over 1,000,000 + words I have written, the over 5,000 typed pages I have produced, the 10 foreign languages I have been published in, the 12 companies world wide I have worked with, the two awards I have won, the over 300+ hand drawn maps I have created, and the hundreds of unpublished projects, manuscripts, short stories and screenplays that I have produced amounting to 2-3 times my published output and reduce them, while summarizing my entire being and history, to the mere abstraction of a "whimsical nature" and this as generated over my 42 years of participation in this industry.

But yet, that is what happened.  Sad isn’t it?  And I don’t mean that it is sad for me in this situation, or for true legends like Faye Dunaway, who I sense is far and away from such tasteless matter.  Instead it is sad from a humanistic point of view.  The injustice of it all is apparent at many levels in our society today, not just in the arts.  Artists are just bigger targets for it.

In Summary

Let creators create and let the fans appreciate what they do when they do it.  Leave them be.  They already have it hard enough just meeting the impossibilities of their creative values and natures day in and day out, wanting to do their best and at the same time trying to raise the stakes to outdo their past performances. True fans of creators know this.  They also know that you leave the Dunaways alone.

Proud Member of ARTISTS UNITE

Up on A Tree Stump™ #5: Creative Exceptionalism & Asking "Why"?

Up on a Tree Stump™
(or) All I Know about D&D™ I Learned From Life


©2010 Robert J. Kuntz

"The root cause of any problem is the key to a lasting solution." -- Taiichi Ohno, pioneer of the Toyota Production System in the 1950s. Link to full article.

I have the greatest respect for SF/Fantasy writers and their past and future involvement in the craft. It is indeed they along with the historians and other great artists and authors who have given us by adaptation Role Playing Games, for without their ideas, their time devoted to such imaginative and enlightening subject matter, none of it would exist, there would not have been an RPG, or at least not as we now know it. These authors made leaps in exposing new ideas and in challenging stereotypes in all fields of knowledge and social context, and often with a critical eye brought us profound concepts and new ways of seeing the world through the focused lens of their stories.

The majority of good literature has stood upon a spacious ground of perceptive social critique and in this case SF/Fantasy, in the main, has been no different. By transference, then, we can rightly assume that RPG designs that in whole or part emulate speculative fiction have at least that same range of possible articulation. Even though we can choose to separate an RPG from speculative fiction to the point where it becomes a mere vehicle of entertainment amid flourishes of creative addition by its author (in this case, the game designer and/or GM), there is no denying that pushing the bar of its application can expose ranges that contribute to honoring its fullest potential just as any piece of fiction can.

Thus the creation of more challenging forms of design that reach beyond tired and over-tested varieties indeed marks solidly the reason "why" they are conceived of and then produced to begin with, as these literally go hand in hand with the progressive ideal of design. But it also makes for a unique challenge to take fiction and games and weave them together into a unique tapestry that makes not only sense to the designer but to the players of such scenarios or games. And every great designer, and for that matter, great player, loves a challenge.

We have noted a plethora of titles and themes from past and present authors of speculative fiction, so we know that "whys" in our cousin-market can vary tremendously and often do. Such diversity not only promotes a wider range of interesting product but introduces a wider range of readers while expanding these boundaries. In essence it feeds the industry with new blood through fresh approaches which in turn furthers continued sustainability of creative exchange. That is then good for the industry that such writers or designers are deeply involved in.

However, what is important to some may not be so for others. This re-poses the "Why" in a different light, for a truly intransigent creator looks to outdo past designs to make his or her mark. They are the ones who will ultimately, in many cases, deserve the accolades of informed fans and valued critics. Unfortunately, most beginning writers and designers often fail to realize that ongoing homework is needed to succeed in such markets. Homework can here be roughly defined as necessary planning but takes into effect an ongoing challenge he or she envelopes themselves in. This includes innovative story, plot and character development; and in the case of RPG scenarios this will include what might be unique among its parts and how these do or do not compare to previous designs. In either case, creating unique inroads may require more planning and/or reading past examples or primary texts depending upon the proposed story's/scenario's specifics and depth.

To successfully pursue a career in speculative fiction or with any of its related by-products attaching to the RPG industry, writers should not cast their works in a mould that will more often be viewed as mere imitation. Indeed the challenge for those intransigent few who see such investments as a continued test of their creative metal is to continue outdoing themselves and others, and by correspondence greatly influencing all of what they value.

The Lake Geneva Tactical Studies Association as a group had a no holds barred approach to design. We were all very opinionated--I argued with EGG over points that I fet strongly about. I was in fact looking for "Whys". His previous tutoring of me when I was age 13 finally found purchase around age 16 in exactly the entire realm as he had projected it, which was to be unique, not just to follow his example only. EGG was a strong supporter of investigating possibilities and absracting "what ifs" from anything before him. Given that mindset we were as a whole disposed to sliding this way or that on issues of creative departure but more often found ourselves in agreement through such exchanges. Don Kaye, his childhood friend and co-founder of TSR Rules, summarized his perspective on this differently but with the same open respect for EGG: "Rob, I argue with him not so much because I think he's wrong, but just to keep him honest."

This working idea of open discourse which always fed creative rumination and critical departures from the norm or "fashionable" worked itself into D&D's play-test and design, as I've noted elsewhere, and became a very important notation for me when considering how this now relates to the whole idea of design and thereby learned artistc processes of that time. In consideration of this ongoing impact, I feel that designers should look as hard at their sources for inspiration as many like myself have done: EGG was a prolific writer, inspired game designer, trenchant humorist, avid and informed critic, amateur artist, animated story teller, superlative editor, and the list goes on. But above all EGG was an outspoken individual, and that added continuous depth of expression to his designs. There was no middle ground as he always attempted to go beyond what was being presented. When faced with design hurdles he was not shy (that word does not figure into his make-up at all) to call upon the LGTSA members to discuss options, or to play-test an idea. When faced with creative challenges (as in his Alexander he Great board game) he advanced innovative system design. Throughout all of his creative phases his voice was heard and his opinions were felt loud and clear and were for the most part respected (except by certain fragile and sensitive egos); and he was highly regarded as a designer who pushed the limits of design.

Part of the reason why this played out so was in fact due to a non-competetive arrangement between us. We were not competing with one another but in fact contesting to see who could contribute to making whatever design was before us better. In essence no one then had any time to be offended or put off by all of the flurry of debate and criticisms and play-tests and the holistic parts that were constantly being interchanged. This wasn't outwardly about ego, though of course ego is vested in design at some level, but most certainly about creation and the creative ideal. As Dave Hickey points out in my recent video post, creators, especially truly unique ones, should be allowed to express their opinions in open discourse without somebody being offended. Creativity is about reaching outwards and beyond and that is done at a sustainable level which is as unique as the artist doing so.

When we were refining D&D through play-test--in fact when we play-tested and developed all games then--we were in DEEP and open discourse. Creativity and transformation cannot occur between others in closed discourse and every artist knows this. On the personal level I have always noted that strongly creative people have equally strong opinions. It is intrinsically part of their natures, or else they could not separate from a community standard and choose their own unique paths for expression. And if anyone believes that true creativity can aspire and grow and implant itself on one's doorstep and in their hearts, otherwise, they are mistaken. D&D separated from the wargames community and formed a totally new game concept and game type; and while doing so, it was at first ridiculed, misunderstood and often vilified. But its adherents stuck with it and proved that creative exceptionalism is the rule, not sameness.   What made RPG possible were select designers and play-testers who became responsible for the unlimited possibilities of human expression in a game where people, not standards, had recourse. In comparison, one cannot look at an artistic product because of this, and as Hickey noted in that video, again, and not see the artist or his kin. And in doing so, I might add, you cannot look at the best of these either without seeing, if only in some degree removed, what inspired that art, design, or writing.

Co-equal with that, certain art can be imitated, but artists cannot be. There will always be distinctions in this by their very acts, natures and beings; and more importantly, the fire of individual creation is not found in "grouping principles" but in standing away from said group and building one's own fire. Gary Gygax was, and still is, the prime example of outspoken individualism in our industry, and so too those whom he encouraged along such paths. It is a fundamental truth that an artist must have absolute freedom to be uniquely creative. This sometimes requires the interjections of others, but in the end, it most certainly requires that a true creator take his or her hammer and smash home the nail of self expression. Otherwise designers and writers adopt another's truth and with that lose their individual creativity and trim their capacity. And the latter in no way embraces what we--prior to and during the years of TSR--promoted while upon the unending search for creative exceptionalism.