"I Don't Care!"

A not uncommon refrain:

I shoot for myself, I don't care what people think!

In this particular statement of the theme (but not in others) there's a planted contradiction, to wit: 'myself' is a people.

This refrain is used to dismiss a lot of things. Other people's specific opinions, discussion of trends, fads, anything that might imply that ones choices do or do not align with someone else's.

The trouble is that no man is an island. You may think you're shooting just for yourself, but the opinions, ideas, trends, fads enjoyed by others touch you. You react to them. You might react against a trend or you might adopt it. Try as you might, you probably won't ignore it.

The opinions of others do matter to you, try as you might. If they don't, you're a sociopath and should seek some sort of assistance lest you fall into a life of crime. We exist in society. We exist, in this modern world, in a dizzying intersection of multiple tribes of hairless apes. Whether you spend time trying to make sense of trends and fads, or not, you are touched by them. You are awash in these things, and to deny it is, well, it is at best silly.

Me? I shoot for myself, sure.

What that means, though, is that I don't give a damn about your ideas about where I should have put the focus, I care less about what you think of my "processing", and so on.

I do care if you "get it" or at least get something.

I don't show off stuff before it's done, generally. Maybe a little teaser and stuff, but usually not. Usually I finish it, and put it out there. And if it doesn't work, well, I am sad, and try harder.

Perhaps the best way to say this is that I'm the only person who gets any say in what, how, why, I shoot. Your input is not desired, thanks.

But I'm shooting for you as much as for me.