You’ll note that this is from the perspective of a music fan (and an old fogey of one, at that) but it applies to writers and painters and whoever else creates for a living. What, you don’t like their new stuff? Nothing’s stopping you from continuing to enjoy their old stuff. Go to it, and leave things be. Many’s the time when a great songwriter or band will wander off into the wilderness (as it were) then come back stronger and better and with more things to show and teach us.

It actually bothers me a bit when people automatically refer to the first big hit item as the best from a given artist, with everything going downhill from there. I can respect “Ziggy Stardust” and “Foxtrot” and “Aqualung” and “Please” but you cannot convince me that “Black Tie White Noise” and “Invisible Touch” and “Crest of a Knave” and “Yes” from those same respective artists are anything less than the worthwhile and enjoyable results of progress, practice and perseverance.

Hmm. Seems I went off on a bit of a rant, there.