There's been lots of discussing and arguing and pontificating about fractals lately, saying that we should use formal rules of composition, not post until the work is 'good', that a few know better than the rest of us what constitutes good art, that there's no such thing as bad art, do you think one fractal program is better than another, yadayadayada, ad nauseum. It all began because one person posted a news article about what they considered to be great fractal art of the past year.

Well, I've pretty much stayed out of it except for a few minor comments here and there because I think the whole thing is juvenile, elitist and positively annoying.

But it just doesn't go away.

Now I'm going to put in my opinion.

My OPINION.

Here's a tip: the 'best of' article was their personal opinion. Get over it.

Likewise, the subsequent journals were their authors' personal opinions. Get over them.

Yes, there really is bad art. Very bad. I personally couldn't care less. Some of it is lauded and faved and held up as wonderful. So what? That doesn't diminish your or my pieces, so why feel threatened? If others like a messy, shiny, primitive look, who really cares? I see crap all over the site, not just in the fractal gallery, but I don't read about artisan craft-ers, traditional artists, photographers, etc, getting their panties in a bunch because there's a bunch of crap in their gallery of choice. Take the hint and follow their lead.

For some reason, though, there are people who use fractal programs who are insulted/annoyed/put out/whatever by the very existence of those awful fractal images. Tell me: did every single one of your images turn out fabulously when you started? I hardly think so. Yes, one would expect/hope that people would improve over time, but that may not be their focus. What if they're just here to laugh, chat, make a few pretty pictures and have a nice time? Is that a bad thing? I don't think so. No one put up a list of rules that says you can only post in the fractal gallery if you're a *cough* serious ARTISTE. At least, I haven't seen the list.

I don't believe that a great image has to begin with feeling, with emotion. I do not believe that art has to speak. A great image can be an accident of trying something as an experiment and having a 'Eureka!' moment. You don't have to have some Ultimate Truth in a piece, or be trying to share a message, maybe it's just a really cool combination of colors put together in a new way. It can be anything you like and it's no one's place to tell you otherwise.

I don't need people telling me what the 'art rules' are, especially when some of the people doing that don't or can't create anything I personally like or respect. Using all the tried-and-true art rules ever written does not guarantee a great image. If you like rules, use 'em; if not, don't use 'em. Just don't go around telling everyone else that they have to do what you do, that they have to think the way you think. Post your opinion and then back off; it's not your job to convince others and no one is going to change anything anyway. There are always going to be crap art pieces in the dA galleries and in the world. Deal with it.

Do I like the fact that there are truly bad images which garner faves like flies to shit? No, not really, but I don't think about it much, either. It amazes me once in a while, it sometimes boggles my mind and I can't wrap my head around it, so I simply compare it to a magpie's love of shiny objects and go make my own stuff. I look at WHO does the faving and chalk it up to lots of people not knowing good from bad. Besides, I'm not here, making what I do, to please a flock of chattering magpies. I have watchers whose opinions I respect and if I get faves from them, I'm as happy as I need to be.

Don't get me wrong: lots of faves are nice. Faves and DDs feed our egos and encourage us to continue doing what we do, usually in solitude, sitting at our computers hour after hour, staring at our monitors. But...IMHO, the inspiration should come, first and foremost, from inside ourselves. It should please us to make what we do, it can relax us, frustrate us, try our patience and, ultimately, hopefully, supply us with something which soothes our inner selves in a way which nothing else can do. It should satisfy you. YOU.

Create.

For you.

To hell with everyone else.