I know that a lot of people have said a lot of words about personal taste and what “good” is in terms of consumption of media, and defining this won’t be the point of this post. More-so, I just want to talk about my experience with what I think is good and how that is at odds with those around me so much of the time.
As we all know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so when someone says that something sucks, they can either argue about it or just let it be. There is no overriding truth or law dictating that this music is better than that music or that this person needs be punished for enjoying bluegrass. Though, with this said, I thought for a long time, because of the reactions I saw from friends and family, that the opposite was true, and only after several years, have I found my own preferred way of enjoying media, whether it be music, artwork, writing, or any combination of creative endeavors. After coming to an awareness of this, I have discovered that I can more fully enjoy a much wider range of content.
A distinction exists between appreciation and enjoyment that some seem not to understand. One needn’t enjoy something to appreciate it. Also, one can have little appreciation and still enjoy. I think, though, that with understanding, real comprehension of the piece of music or art or what-have-you, can come a combination of the two, so that something that seems strange and unpleasant at first might become interesting and enjoyable.
This idea does assume that the consumer is knowledgeable about these subjects and their nuances. It also assumes that the consumer is willing to put his or herself into a place of discomfort until a change happens. That change being an understanding and therefore an appreciation and, possibly, enjoyment of something that was unpleasant at first.
On Creativity 