Le Rifain assis, Oil on canvas, 200 x 160 cm. In the collection of the Barnes Foundation. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Ever come up with a good idea, but wanted to find out if it was as good as you thought?
You asked various people; some writers, some art directors, perhaps even some normal people. I am willing to bet that your survey was of no use whatsoever. Some people loved the idea, some hated it and most had no useful opinion. And you were even more confused than when you started out.
This creative truism came to mind because of two reviews of the new Barnes Foundation museum in Philadelphia, which recently moved from the suburbs to the center of the city. The LA Times had this to say: Barnes Foundation museum a bland shadow of once great self.
While the New York Times thought: A Museum, Reborn, Remains True to Its Old Self, Only Better.
As in the familiar, “How could you recommend that movie, restaurant, play, to me?
The truth, of course, is that both papers were correct; art, movies, plays, restaurants, and most experiences are subjective.
The only objective reality here is that people vote with their pockets. If the restaurant closes, the play has no audience, the movie disappears, then it is a failure.
So perhaps the best idea for you is to go with your gut. The market will tell you if the idea was a good one, or at least if it is a successful one.
Got the idea?

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