The section of "The Critic as Artist" that most struck me dealt with this idea as the critic as a creator of their own work of art. I love this especially as it pertains to my background in creative writing and because there is a freedom to see what you will within the piece but also beyond it (as with literary analysis).
When attempting journalism, I've always felt uncomfortable with the distance I'm supposed to put between myself and the subject matter which is why I love reviews and critiques. As an overly-sensitive person who over-thinks everything, just giving the facts and none of myself is something I doubt I'll ever master. But this idea of "filling a void," of commenting on "beauty" itself is this great way for me to think critically (obviously). But it is also a way to put my own ideas forth and create something new and fresh, as if the work in review is a launch pad into this wide open terrain.
Creating something means pouring your heart and soul into that work and producing something for one's self even if that means writing about someone else's work. I love the line about "the one thing not worth looking at is the obvious." Oscar Wilde's "The Critic as Artist" gave me this curious permission to allow for more imagination and creativity to enter my work, something that has been a struggle for me both internally and on the page.
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