It's Been a Minute Art, faith, & your tendency to overthink it.
Oct 15, 2025
In this engaging discussion, novelist Brandon Taylor delves into the complexities of creating art amid internal and external criticism. He shares insights from his book, 'Minor Black Figures,' highlighting characters grappling with online judgment and self-doubt. Brandon explores the double consciousness artists face in a social media-driven world, the impact of audience expectations on creativity, and the nuanced conversation around race and representation in art. He also reflects on faith, grace, and the importance of mutual support in overcoming creative paralysis.
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Audience Anxiety Alters Creation
- Brandon Taylor says making art becomes entangled with imagining an audience, which creates anxiety about reception.
- That imagined audience shifts artists from creators into people anxious about social reputation.
Stop Policing Your Motives
- Avoid endless motivation-policing that halts creative work; accepted answers about purity are unknowable.
- Focus on making rather than spiraling over whether your motives are pure.
Double Consciousness Of Social Life
- Taylor describes modern life as a 'double consciousness' where you inhabit yourself and a watched version of yourself.
- That mediated feedback loop reduces people to identity fragments and estranges lived human reality.
