Alan Jacobs on The Work Itself
Friday, December 20, 2024
It seems to be an Alan Jacobs day! His post called “The Work Itself,” about the difference between being an influencer and doing a job, is excellent. For me, it is coinciding with my current reading of Matthew B Crawford’s Shop Class as Soulcraft and The World Beyond Your Head, _as well as Richard Sennett’s The Craftsman.
For the artist, the work as an end in itself ought to be your entire focus. Yet in theater and film, too much attention is given by professors and the media to “success” defined by fame and fortune, both of which are worthless to a true artist. Do the work.