Are Competitions Good for Cardistry?
Cardistry is an art form, so it must be completely subjective, right?
Wrong.
Perhaps not all cardists feel this way, but personally, I feel it’s a balance. Let’s take graphic design as an example. There are certain “rules” around components like hierarchy, spacing, and contrast, and some designs may be considered subpar by the broad design community if they fail to meet those standards.
Similarly, some cardists believe there are specific aspects of a cardistry move that make it high quality, and it has always been generally accepted for cardists to critique others on their moves.
This brings us to competitions.
While it might seem odd that something seemingly subjective can be judged, I can at least speak to my personal experience of being in multiple competitions – both as a participant and as a judge.
One that had an overall positive impact on my creative abilities was The Fontaine Trials in 2020. The short timeframe to upload a new video each round, combined with increasing video lengths put me in a mode of spending most of my free time creating and practicing new moves. But for cardists who thrive on being able to relax and take their time finding the best motions for a new cut, this can limit the quantity and especially the quality of ideas they create.
But is all this competition even “healthy” for the community?
For an art form that’s supposed to be subjective, doesn’t objectifying it take away the fun?
While certainly a fair critique, I believe competition is important for growing the community. Cardistry tournaments such as Fontaine Trials, Lotus Singles, and Missing Battles all provide huge incentives to push the art forward, all while gathering the collective attention of the community on a single focus.
They bring cardists together.
In fact, it’s hard to find an art form or hobby that doesn’t involve some sort of competition (cooking, skateboarding, art shows, photography, etc.). Just like people appreciating a chef’s cooking differently depending on their taste buds, cardists appreciate different types of moves depending on a multitude of factors – whether the move is compact and intricate or widespread and flashy, for example.
Of course, it’s important to note that there’s no “right” way to do cardistry. In the end, it truly is about picking up a deck and having fun. Whether that means embracing your competitive spirit and entering contests or posting your ideas on your own terms is completely up to you.
But either way, it’s clear that fostering a competitive drive has undoubtedly fueled many cardists to create more ideas and further contribute to this art form. If you haven’t tried entering a cardistry competition yourself, I recommend you give it a shot!
You might surprise yourself with what you create.
— Dom
