Addicted to Mediocrity, Chapter 5: What Can We Do?

Chapter 5 is mostly a lot of rhetoric. Even though the chapter is titled "What Can We Do?", it doesn't provide any real answers to the question. The first half of the chapter, Schaefer tries to reinforce the idea that mediocrity shouldn't be accepted.

Of course mediocrity shoudn't be accepted. Who wants something mediocre? Who strives to be mediocre? It would've been fine had he not spent four or so pages on the subject.

Instead of giving real answers to address the mediocrity, Schaeffer provides abstract goals and ideas that really achieve nothing. Schaeffer just inundates us with a bunch of shoulds. "We must demand higher standards. We must look for people with real creative integrity and talent, or we must not dabble in these creative fields at all." (p.46) What "higher standards" are Schaeffer talking about? Is he talking about standards like these? You can't just go around talking about standards without talking about which sort of standards. He also says that we need to find "people with real creative integrity and talent". Like I said before, it's not that there is a lack of creative people within the church, just that they don't know how to use that creative energy effectively. To just dismiss the arts by saying that we're better off not "dabbl[ing] inthese creative fields" is just rediculous.

I'd like to suggest some practical solutions. Depending on the form of art you are trying to produce, look at similar productions that you consider to be excellent or of quality that is being produced in the world. What is it about these productions that make them excellent? Identify these qualities and strive for them in your own ministries.

Practice. The difference between a good team and a bad team is the amount of practice that they put in. Just like any other task, hard work and dedication will get you a lot further than skill and talent.

Critical review. Surround yourself with people who will look at your work critically. People who understand where the team has come from and the achievements it has made. At the same time, offering cunstructive criticisms on how they can improve.

Constantly push your limits. What is it about this new piece that is different from what you've done before? Anything? If there's nothing new, is it really worth doing? Is the piece too different from what you've done before? It may be too far advanced for the members of the team that it will be impossible to accomplish.

Two steps forward, one step back. In order to win or succeed, you need to take risks. With each risk, there will be progress and setbacks. As long as the progress is greater than the setbacks, you will have made a net advance. This is what you are looking for. That you are moving forward and not just treading water.

The same things that apply in the secular world of art need to apply to the "Christian" world of art. The same standards, if not stricter standards need to be used. We need to take bigger risks and strive for bigger things in order to make an impact. Sure, not everything we do will succeed, but with good training and good practice, the successes will out weigh the failures.