1. In ~ The Nature of Order Book Two, Alexander wrote (paraphrasing):
There is a subtle but critical error here: Alexander is contrasting a process (what the artist does) with a goal (what the art does). I agree, one thousand percent, with what he wrote... but how is the artist to move forward, knowing this? The two items are not immediately usefully comparable and I'd in fact argue that choosing to pursue a goal over a process is extremely detrimental.
(See ~ Atomic Habits - todo: link to more detailed/specific notes when I have them)
2. In ~ The Creative Act, Rubin wrote:
This presents a better angle towards a potential system or process for achieving Alexander's ESSENTIAL AND IMPORTANT feature of art, although it's by no means complete. (Maybe I could mine The Creative Act some more and find a good quote, but I don't really care to do so at the moment)
QuoteThe artist putting their feeling into the work:
THIS IS NOT VERY INTERESTING
The work generating feeling in me:
THIS IS ESSENTIAL AND IMPORTANT
There is a subtle but critical error here: Alexander is contrasting a process (what the artist does) with a goal (what the art does). I agree, one thousand percent, with what he wrote... but how is the artist to move forward, knowing this? The two items are not immediately usefully comparable and I'd in fact argue that choosing to pursue a goal over a process is extremely detrimental.
(See ~ Atomic Habits - todo: link to more detailed/specific notes when I have them)
2. In ~ The Creative Act, Rubin wrote:
QuoteA point of view is different from having a point. . . . It's of no use to know [or portray] your point of view. . . . The true point is already made in the innocent act of perception and creation.
This presents a better angle towards a potential system or process for achieving Alexander's ESSENTIAL AND IMPORTANT feature of art, although it's by no means complete. (Maybe I could mine The Creative Act some more and find a good quote, but I don't really care to do so at the moment)
PRODUCES NOT VERY INTERESTING WORK:
The artist puts their feeling into the work,
expressing, communicating, or portraying their felt feeling
PRODUCES ESSENTIAL AND IMPORTANT WORK:
The artist looks at the work and notices how they feel,
working to enhance their received feeling
(Alexander actually says this more or less directly in that chapter, but I'm highlighting how his big-picture summary fails and how we must summarize it differently -- through describing two processes: a good process and a bad process)
The artist puts their feeling into the work,
expressing, communicating, or portraying their felt feeling
PRODUCES ESSENTIAL AND IMPORTANT WORK:
The artist looks at the work and notices how they feel,
working to enhance their received feeling