One of the glories and terrors of working in public is that you do see if your output means anything to anyone.
Interpretation
Public work has the power to impact others, revealing both its value and the pressure of its reception.
In this quote, Jenny Holzer highlights the dual nature of creating art or work that is presented to the public. It serves as both a source of pride and anxiety, as the creator becomes acutely aware of the influence their work can have on others, which can be both a glorious affirmation of purpose and a terrifying vulnerability to criticism or indifference.
In practice
This quote can be used to inspire artists during an exhibition opening.
BY YOUR RESPONSE TO DANGER IT IS_x000D_ EASY TO TELL HOW YOU HAVE LIVED _x000D_ AND WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO YOU._x000D_ YOU SHOW WHETHER YOU WANT TO STAY ALIVE,_x000D_ WHETHER YOU THINK YOU DESERVE TO,_x000D_ AND WHETHER YOU BELIEVE_x000D_ IT'S ANY GOOD TO ACT.
Writers have to keep on writing if they want to mature, like caterpillars endlessly chewing on leaves.
But there's no way round it-commercial success is a mark of failure for a graffiti artist. We're not supposed to be embraced in that way. When you look at how society rewards so many of the wrong people, it's hard not to view financial reimbursement as a badge of self-serving mediocrity.
A superhuman will is needed in order to write, and I am only a man.
I really knew when I started photographing I wanted it to be a way of knowing different cultures, not just in other countries but in this country, too, and I knew I wanted to be a voyeur.
Bored with obvious reality, I find my fascination in transforming it into a subjective point of view.
I watch people who are not driven by creativity any more, and I think how dull it must be to produce the same kind of thing. If you don't feel you're reaching something new, then don't do it.
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