Category: Aesthetics
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“In the karaoke universe, we can be whoever we want. We express ourselves by turning into colorful and disastrous parodies of pop stars who are already appalling parodies of human beings. And somehow, that’s how we end up as our most sincere version of ourselves. When you step into the song, you’re not sure who…
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Here are my CRAP reflections on Chapter 15 of Longinus’ “On the Sublime.” Criticism Longinus begins this chapter by emphasizing the importance of phantasia, or visualization: “…dignity, grandeur, and urgency are to a very large degree derived from visualization (phantasia).” He distinguishes this from the mere production of images. Instead, phantasia is a vital mental…
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In Chapter 14 of “On the Sublime” Longinus lays out one of the most radical creative challenges in literary history: “We too… should carefully consider how perhaps Homer might have said this very thing, or how Plato, or Demosthenes, or (in history) Thucydides, might have given it sublimity.” Criticism Longinus doesn’t just ask writers to…
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Longinus, in Chapter 13 of On the Sublime, offers a compelling meditation on imitation and inspiration: “[T]here is another way that leads to sublimity… It is the imitation and emulation of the greater writers and poets of the past… For many authors are inspired by the spirit of others…” Criticism Longinus views sublimity not as…
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Whether it is expressed through words or pictures, artistry thrives, no matter what the medium. Like other forms of art, writing cannot be perfect; this does not mean it cannot be a work of beauty in its own right. Everyone has their own personal style to everything they do – whether you’re speaking aloud or…
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I’ve noticed a disturbing trend in the entertainment industry. It’s not really a novel realization, and it’s been hit on by quite a few critics and commentators, but it’s really beginning to bother me. Human creativity seems to be waning in such a dramatic way in recent years. There are so many formulaic attempts at…
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Illusions of success, or perhaps even delusions of success, have become the key reason that most talented individuals find themselves in dead-end avenues of employment or must struggle as “starving artists” in an attempt to get by. The issue is not in having employment where you have to answer to a boss or going to…
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There’s a moment just before sleep when the world slips off like a robe—heavy, clinging, and familiar. You’re not dreaming yet. But you’re no longer quite awake. Time stutters. The room exhales. Your body begins to forget its obligations. This is the first drift, the beginning of our unwinding. We don’t rush toward dreams, but…
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There are days when everything feels like too much—like the very structure of reality is just slightly tilted, and you’re the only one noticing the slope. On those days, grand wisdom and motivational speeches just ricochet off your skin. But a small affirmation? That might make it through. Kate Cassidy recently said in her video…
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“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” – Ansel Adams This quote is from Ansel Adams, one of the 20th century’s most acclaimed photographers. It’s one of my favorite quotes about photography, highlighting the fact that a photo is made as much as it is taken. Many people focus too much on specific technical…