On Shadow Artists

I love my gig as a reviewer. Sure, it doesn’t pay much, but I score the occasional free book, I spend hours reading (mostly) great literature, and I get the satisfaction of sharing my thoughts with others, thereby hopefully directing them toward their own great reading experiences. But am I missing something? Am I merely following the path of least resistance?

Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, would answer in the affirmative. One of the first concepts she introduces in her book is that of the “shadow artist.”

Too intimidated to become artists themselves, very often too low in self-worth to even recognize that they have an artistic dream, these people become shadow artists instead. Artists themselves but ignorant of their true identity, shadow artists are to be found shadowing declared artists . . . Shadow artists often chose shadow careers–those close to the desired art, even parallel to it, but not the art itself (Julia Cameron, The Complete Artist’s Way, pp. 42-3).

For me, this description holds a lot of painful truth. For a long time, I’ve wanted–or at least claimed I’ve wanted–to write fantasy novels, yet I haven’t penned much beyond a couple short stories and a few tentative chapters. Yet I’ve poured out tens of thousands of words on this and other blogs, extolling the virtues of other writers, lambasting the flaws of others, and expounding upon nearly every facet of the writer’s craft. Even as I write this, I can’t help feeling that I’m turning away from my own creative process. I can’t help but wonder if this is true for other bloggers as well. The writing on many review blogs I frequent is sprightly, inventive, and readable, and I find myself imagining what marvels would spring forth if these creative minds turned their hand to fiction.

On the other hand, Cameron’s writing shows a bias against critics which must be taken into account. It’s my hope that as a reviewer I play a valuable role in facilitating discussions among readers, and even between readers and the authors themselves, and I derive real pleasure as a part of that community. And even review writing, even academic writing, demands creativity of its own sort. Rhetoric may be a neglected art, but it certainly isn’t dead.

The two aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive, either. Many editors and agents go write their own novels while holding on to their current posts. Among the blogging community, I know Aidan over at A Dribble of Ink has written several short stories and, last I heard, was nearing completion of his first novel.

For me, I suppose the ultimate litmus test comes down to whether I feel fulfilled. Ever the Libra equivocator, I’m afraid my best answer at this point is that it depends on which day you ask me.

Lest I put words into the mouths–or fingers–of other readers and reviewers, I’m curious to know how you feel about the supposed existence of “shadow artists.” Feel free to comment below.