Loved reading this reflection. I really do think taste is the necessary precondition to doing great work: it helps you discern between tired or novel ideas, edit your own work, draw out and refine what is great about it, carefully carve out anything that compromises the beauty and elegance of a work.
It makes sense, then, that taste has to be intentionally and very seriously cultivated. 2024 generally feels like the Anti-Algorithm Year, especially when it comes to music listening…I was talking to a friend this weekend about how we don't want to just listen to algorithmic Spotify playlists on autopilot; we want to listen to full albums recommended by friends and music critics. Following someone else's taste, or articulating your own, feels like a central practice that feeds into creation.
Loved reading this reflection. I really do think taste is the necessary precondition to doing great work: it helps you discern between tired or novel ideas, edit your own work, draw out and refine what is great about it, carefully carve out anything that compromises the beauty and elegance of a work.
It makes sense, then, that taste has to be intentionally and very seriously cultivated. 2024 generally feels like the Anti-Algorithm Year, especially when it comes to music listening…I was talking to a friend this weekend about how we don't want to just listen to algorithmic Spotify playlists on autopilot; we want to listen to full albums recommended by friends and music critics. Following someone else's taste, or articulating your own, feels like a central practice that feeds into creation.
You might have already seen this, but I really like this Austin Kleon post on how important input (what we read/listen to/etc) is to artistic output: https://austinkleon.com/2015/11/12/problems-of-output-are-problems-of-input/
thanks for your comment! i like the phrase anti-algorithm year a lot — wonder what other ways i can participate in that.
and yes! that sits among my gospel austin kleon posts.