This website is a personal project as much as a social one; the aim is to grow my personal knowledge base alongside my peers while contributing to the advancement of the humanities. This is an effort towards elevating art and the creative depths of the human mind in order to promote individualism and artistic culture in a world where they are undervalued and underrepresented. Reviews are always honest and unique to my perspective, sometimes dissonant but always genuine, ignoring outside opinion. I attempt to keep my thoughts as concise as possible while providing some kind of brief insight into the work, but I always write within one session so please forgive any errors in grammar, judgement, fact-checking, et cetera.
FAQ:
What qualifies you to review anything?
The short answer is: nothing. Having a unique voice is a gift that all of us share, I just enjoy sharing mine through writing and criticism.
What is the purpose of writing reviews for and rating art when it is so subjective?
Art in all forms being such a subjective medium is a motivator rather than a hinderance. Identifying and voicing the distinction between impartiality and personal slant is necessary, but a unique yet consistent critical voice has a real place in our cultural discourse and promotes the value of the humanities for the individual, all while providing efficient direction for new or even avid consumers. That being said, the value of writing benefits myself as much as others, as it promotes critical thought and creativity, as well as a form of accountability in personal education through expression. Whether reading the material is entertaining or valuable is up to you.
Why did you name your website "nistalgia"?
I had an inclination towards classic literature before higher level studies broadened my horizons, hence the wordplay. I combined my first name with the original word to form the title.
What do you add to criticism that hasn't been said before?
Plenty of personal observations of course, but again the focus is on adding a well-researched and intellectually curious voice to the already active discourse. This is why social media sites focused on music, film, books, art, etc are valuable as well, but this is my preferred method of organizing my thoughts in one place considering my various interests.
“To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?”
- Cicero
- Claude Monet
“Do not bend, do not water it down, do not try to make it logical, do not edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.”
- Franz Kafka
- Franz Kafka