La'Charles

after some brooding i’ve determined that it’s for the greater good i make this non-rant accessible. to those notorious for accepting personal invitations to your friends’ shows and then planning your escape from having to attend, this is your intervention. 

out of respect for culture and craft, please refrain from texting your artist friends just before their show that you cannot make it to their show. for one, that’s you missing out; not them. the artists don’t spend all this time rehearsing and obsessing over the intricacies of their crafts for all that. this is all love. artists understand everybody has their shit going on—we artists have our shit too, and that’s what inspires our creations—but don’t flat out say you’re gonna come and then pull that stunt. 

why? it’s ultimately distracting. texting an artist your creative excuses just before their special showcase makes the situation impersonally all about you, which is indicative of your thoughtless process. hopefully you don’t find anything particularly encouraging about sending “sorry i can’t come..” two hours or thirty minutes before your artist friend is about to express their vulnerability. if you’re compelled to anyway, try keeping that bad news to yourself and plan to go to the next one. in fact, that’s pretty much the only way to redeem yourself. 

exception: now, if you keep getting invited by the same artist to shows you don’t want to go to, just tell them why you don’t like going to their shows. it’s the feedback they may need to create an experience they ultimately want to include you in. 

other exception: fellow artists who legitimately have shit to do that day.