(Image credit to Timothy Ries on Unsplash)

I’ve been on “holiday” this week – at my house, but just not doing much work. However, my thoughts are never far away from art and how we make it.

While I’ve been chilling out, I’ve been watching lots of films and TV shows. This has also been a year when I’ve got back into reading, properly able to enjoy it after university really broke the habit. When a colleague asked me what I like to read, I replied: “I like books where you can guess the ending.” It was a somewhat flippant response, but I wasn’t lying.

I recently read and loved a book called The Summer Seekers. In an early chapter, there was a passing remark that the main character’s former best friend lived in California. The main thrust of the plot is this character’s road trip across the USA. It seemed pretty obvious to me that the throwaway comment would be pretty relevant to the ending. However, I was happy to enjoy the journey and hang out with the characters as they went through it. This applies to a lot of the art I enjoy the most.

I am drawn in by interesting characters and relationship dynamics, and I love a classic plot twist or love triangle. It doesn’t matter if I can see it coming or it’s a bit melodramatic. If the premise is somewhat believable and the writers have done enough work to make me care, I will lock in. The example from this week that prompted the blog post is ‘XO, Kitty,’ a spin off from the ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before’ series of films. One reviewer called it “convoluted but charming,” and another “a fluffy cupcake of a romance.” This is very much my genre.

However, my favourite genre is not generally regarded as high-quality art. I am not trying to claim that everything I enjoy is a masterpiece. I think every genre has better and worse examples, but I do get frustrated with the entertainment industry’s devaluing of art that makes us feel good. It’s rare for romance or rom-com films to be nominated for big awards. At the Oliviers, there are separate categories for “Best New Play” and “Best Entertainment or Comedy Play.”

I also question whether something has to be high-quality to be enjoyable, and the importance we place on each category. I have seen plenty of people judging others for enjoying art that is “bad,” which feels unnecessary. These musings bring me back to the eternal question of the purpose of art, which has as many answers as there are people. I don’t think I will ever have a singular concrete answer, but I do want art that makes us feel good to be treated with respect.