Nicole Sullivan

Suzanne was very clear about what she wanted to talk about and say about each thing.  A lot of her writing was about how artists relate to audiences and how to breach the gap between the two.  It makes me wonder what the relationship is between the performers and the observers, aka the audience. I think that to a certain degree we as performers strive to please the audience if we want a successful career.  The difference is that to please the audience I don’t think you need to venture completely out of your morals.  There will always be people who like your art and critique it.  My personal opinion is that the audiences that you are trying to reach out to will receive it.  An example that comes to mind is when writers write plays like “For Colored Girls”.  A lot of the African American men are portrayed in a negative light in that play and don’t really enjoy the play.  Yet many African American women can relate to the issues that are prominent within that story.  Sometimes there are movies that degrade women and as women we get irritated.  Truth is, both of these things happen.  And I believe everyone has a right to see both sides without judgment, because there will always be something that contradicts what you just saw.  I didn’t agree with the idea that artists always want to please the audience.  Sometimes people make art to start controversy, and they don’t care nor need others approval.  Granted to make money there has to be something appealing to the observers, but controversy things can actually be appealing.  Creativity is going to be different for each person, and nobody can dictate that.  Art is a freedom of speech. Who the audience base is greatly impacts what you’re doing and what you’re saying.  Should you compromise your piece to please the audience?  How do you make anything and be able to stand behind it without worrying about other people critiquing it? Art makes people feel, whether it’s full of hate, hope, happiness, etc.  We forget as artists there are very few of us. The majority of people go by the rules of their careers (their bosses); they have boundaries. As artists do we have boundaries? At some point you have to do what you want and you know what you’re doing for yourself. Don’t change yourself- if you care too much about everybody you’re beliefs will change.  But then it’s like I keep thinking, many people are artists for a living.  In that case money is a priority and in order make a living we have to please the audiences of our art.  There’s a time and place for everything.  You can’t always do what you want, and that goes for every career. Overall I feel art should be judged by its own ideas, not how people think it should be.