Fast forward to today and I immediately latched on writing the cap. The whole idea came right back to me and while simple, seemed like it would make a satisfying caption. About the only difficult part of this was deciding how to lay it all out. I knew I would have the rules (I needed the first three to make the story work), and I would have a very small story... really just enough for the subject to come to the fight club, and then to get transformed and pushed into the ring.
I tried to have just the first three rules, but I could't get them to line up in a satisfying way. But as I added more, they kept getting shorter and shorter, and I wouldn't be able to fill up that upper space. It took me awhile but I finally decided that since I only really needed the fist three, that it wouldn't be a problem to let the other rules fall off the page.
Really I figure this is worth a quick giggle and no more.
Busted (and be-busted) by a stealth syllogism! :-)
ReplyDeleteIt took me a minute to figure out that the rules were supposed to be falling off the edge and not just a maximize error that I get sometimes on my iPad. You did a great job pulling off the theme.
ReplyDeleteHmm.... I hadn't considered that. Would it have been better with a border?
DeleteYes. A border, or a subtle gradient fade, or something else to make a touch clearer that it's a deliberate design decision and not a cropping mistake.
DeleteActually, the design is the thing I liked best about this cap. A border might take away the edginess...the unrefined vulgarity that slaps you in the face...sort of like a George Bellows' boxing painting. Not that you couldn't find a border to fit the image...but, I think it works well without one.
DeleteThanks Victoria and Anonymous. I do agree it needs something. I played a bit to see if I could get a border to work and agree with Anony... I didn't like it. It changed the tone to a more structured one and reduced that gritty feeling I went for. I think if I let the rules also flow off of the top... have half of the first rule be off the canvas it might work as well. That way it looks more deliberate and less accidental.
DeleteBy the way, I forgot to sign my comment...anonymous = Jenna :)
DeleteNice technical stuff, but......
ReplyDeletethe "inherent problem" is:
1) Rules kill creativity/originality
2) Rules for fighting is a contradictio in terminis
3) Rules for gender keep a dichotomy alive which reality is questionable.
Um......keep struggling :)
Wow, that's a lot of rules about rules! I am probably not smart enough to understand...but, aren't rules simply a tool to create structure? Creativity needs structure just like a painter needs a canvass or a writer needs paper. *And yes, any form of medium for display will work fine, but I like the sound of Canvass and paper.* Fighting, in the ring anyway, is a stylized version of conflict which is all about rules in much the same way as mountain goats battle over territory and mates. I think the inherent problem here, is simply that I am too ditzy to understand the point of these statements. I don't think I want to argue with the third rule on rules, but I'm not sure...if I assume that reality is really supposed to be really...then, in reality we really agree on the third point...if not...I'll just keep struggling with it I guess.:) Jenna
DeleteI have to disagree with you Ayesha. Rules don't kill creativity and/or originality. Especially for those just stating out and honing their skills. And there is no rule saying that the rules can't be broken.
DeleteIn a real 'fight', sure there are no rules. But in any type of competition there has to be rules... even if its just the method of declaring a winner (knock down, knock out, tap out, death...).
As for rules and gender... again rules help define. If there were no rules about it, then there would be no real gender at all. My fantasies (and therefore my caps) thrive in that dichotomy. It's the root of the conflict that I base my work on. I'm not making social commentary on what 'should' be true... I'm just writing fiction (fun to some, sick to others).
And although I didn't realize I was 'struggling' I'll endeavor to continue.
@ Jenna the Anonymous One
Delete1) U r smarter than u want me/us to believe.
2) U r far from ditzy.
3) Rule #1: Don't confuse rules with statements.
4) If u assume too much, u r making an ass out of u and me.
5) If u didn't get statement #4, my assumption that u were a smartass underlines its correctness.
6) If u did get it, #4 still stands. I mean as a rule of thumb eh?
--------------------
@ Caitlyn with the Beautiful Mask
1) Years ago i met a young man who was passionate about creating art. Looking at his paintings i saw his extraordinary talent. So i asked him: "Will u go and attend art school?" His answer? "No, certainly not, as they'll only try teaching me what they think is art, and to make me forget what's lingering in my soul." And he was right! Paraphrasing myself a bit: "Rules r serving and protecting those who can’t stand people who tend to behave differently from what so called authorities on the matter think is right or wrong."
2) It's time for humans to lose the concept of competition! A world of winners is a world of losers. We had enough of those. Instead, let's try cooperation for a while.
3) Gender? I've read "Behind the Mask". That's all.
Ayesha, I think you may be taking the idea of rules as far too rigid. That all rules must be followed all the time, or we throw the baby out with the wash water and abandon all rules. I won't defend any and all rules blindly but I will reiterate that rules do not necessarily kill creativity and/or originality. Many creative and original pieces of art were created within art's rules (although the 'rules' of art are incredibly nebulous and constantly shifting).
DeleteYou bring up a fine example of someone that assumes what would happen were he to attend an art school. I'll offer a different example. While I was going to school and working toward my degree in photography I became friends with an 'artist'. He had no desire to be there as he felt it would be a waste of time. That no one could define what was already in his heart and soul. The only reason he attended the school was economic... his parents agreed to support him for several years only if he attended school and earned a degree.
And what happened to him at school? Did he forget what lingered in his soul? No. He was taught the history and methodology of creating art. It was a welcoming and accepting place where an artist was nurtured and allowed to experiment and create art. Did he learn the 'rules'? Yes. Did they stifle his creativity? No. He used some and improved his art. He ignored other 'rules' and also improved his art.
Would he have been a good artist without attending school? Perhaps. But he is a better artist for attending school.
On to competition. Why would we want to get rid of competition? Competition and cooperation aren't mutually exclusive. We can have both. A vast majority of the population are competitive. A utopian socieity where we all work toward common goals is great on paper, but has never worked in reality (at least not in the long term and/or on a large scale). You could argue that a world without winners makes everyone losers. Competition makes us strive to be better. To improve. To innovate. To create.
And lastly, Gender. Gender? I wrote 'Behind the Mask'. That's all.
"Competition makes us......."? Indeed that's what the patriarch and his affiliates r trying to feed the good people for ages. Now look around a bit and see what else resulted from competition and how this compares to the allegedly good things ascribed to it. And of cors, 'better', 'improve', 'innovate', and 'create' go both ways eh? Example? The Germans strove to make their KZ-Lager better, to improve Zyklon B, to innovate medical procedures for gender purification, and to create a 1000 year Reich. Guess we need to be more specific when using these concepts, won't u agree?
DeleteAnyway, clearly we differ when observing our world(s). U seem to prefer staying within the safety of ur comfort zone, hesitating to look beyond its boundaries, to jump over its fences, and enter unknown, eventually dangerous, territories, while i belong to those who relentlessly will question same at all costs, and have an innate drive to not accept but mock and ridicule the very existence of boundaries, frontiers, and even horizons. That's why u probably only will keep on fantasizing about Caitlyn and never will become that deliciously intriguing and sensually masked woman in r/l. And if that's ur choice, so be it, live like that. Be aware tho, there r men who followed their dreams and now live as incredibly sexy she-males, combining the finest of masculinity and femininity in body and mind. I love to enslave those creatures, make other women green from envy when together we hit the discos, restaurants, the opera, etc. So much better than to only have that fantasy. So innovative too u know. And don't get me started on what we've created along our way and still r creating. Our passion to improve will never end. Competition did tho, hehe.
Rigid? R u talking to me? Oh noooo! Listen up oh Masked One. I DO stop for a red traffic light eh? Well...um...occasionally ;)
Ayesha, I've always been a fan of Godwin's Law (although I'm sure being a rule, you don't follow it), but I never suspected it to be used on a blog about TG caps and fantasies. Certainly not when tied to a discussion about the goods and evil of rules, competition and gender.
ReplyDeleteBut... there it is.
Yes, surprise, surprise, there is good old Mike's product again. How universal/correct his creation/observation is, remains to be seen tho. Poor me should have known, and used a different example. For instance one linked to the ongoing economic 'recession', or the current appeasement politics regarding Syria. Or is the latter too close to Chamberlain's actions during the Holocaust foreplay perhaps?
DeleteMy observation? Too many people conveniently (mis)use señor Godwin’s 'law' to change the subject.
Ayesha, there is no easy way to say this. This conversation is over. I'm sorry I even joined in, but I was trying to be a good host. But you commented on a cap that was mimicing the rules from 'Fight Club' to talk about how rules kill creativity, how rules for fighting is a contradiction, and how rules keep genders separate. When I and another person replied to your comment, you called her a smartass, questioned my feelings on gender in a smart alec way, and went into how rules protected people who behave different from them.
DeleteWhen I tried to comment politely you go into a rant on how a patriarch and his affiliates (what?) are deluding the people, and how people improving themselves is akin to concentration camps and better means of cyanide, how the Nazis wanted to use medical procedures for gender purification to create a 1000 year Reich. You then continue on to question my desires and fantasies and admit that you live to mock and ridicule boundaries.
I honesty have very little idea what you are going on about, but you seem incredibly passionate about it. So instead of writing up something in the same mocking tone, I pull out a funny 'rule' that will help end the conversation. Instead of letting it go, you mock the rule and try to move the conversation into another hot button area.
You are correct on one thing... Godwin's law is brought out far too many times (probably too many mentions of Nazis going around) to change the subject. I on the other wasn't trying to change the subject. I was trying to end it.
I'd thank you for the comment on the cap, but you never even mentioned it, instead you just used it for a spring board into something else. I do appreciate you reading it though.
So we'll go ahead and call it done now. I see you have a blog of your own where you can get into conversations on whatever topic you like. Please be respectful enough to not try to continue this conversation here in any way.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteCaitlyn... To be fair, I wasn't offended by the smartass comment...Ayesha had that one spot on. I was jabbing her there, to point out the usefulness of rules in communicating your ideas. I liked your story about the art student you met in college...that was me...in a nutshell...not literally..but I was an arrogant little shit who had to first realize that I didn't know everything about painting before I could really start learning. It turns out that you can learn something of value from pretty much everyone on the planet... present and past included. I actually enjoyed this little discussion. If you decide to remove this comment, I will understand... Jenna the Anonymous One...I kinda like that title... :)
DeleteJenna,
DeleteI appreciate you saying that and am glad that you weren't offended by it. I won't remove your comment. The only reason I removed Ayesha's is that I asked her to not continue the conversation, and she did so anyway. She only posted a link to a video titled 'Caitlyn', but after my request it came across as someone sticking their tongue out.
Beyond some spam, I've never had to remove any comments and hope to never do it again.
Caitlyn,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, NICE caption, enjoyed it a LOT...
Second, on "rules", SOME rules are needed in ANY civilized society, else we have anarchy. Anarchy means unrestricted FREEDOM, which SOUNDS nice on paper, but it ALSO means the STRONG rule the weak, who have ZERO protection without society's "rules".
Lastly, on the Artist/Art School example... While I am NOT a professional Artist, I did at one time dream of becoming one. I even was offered a small partial scholarship at a fairly prestigious Art School. Art Schools do NOT teach you what is Art and what is not. They do NOT teach you the "rules" of creating Art. They teach you the History, methods and techniques to create BETTER Art.
An "Artist" who thinks that a professional Art School would NOT teach him anything and would somehow stifle his creativity is an arrogant twit. Art Schools are designed to promote creativity and individuality as one of their core principles...
just sayin'
/hugs