I can still remember being a student, sitting in critiques where no one was willing to speak up.
People seemed to feel there was a right and wrong thing to share their ideas about the art. Now I wonder: were we all more concerned with how we sounded rather than about helping the artist and his/her art?
It’s good to be reminded that there are two sides to a critique and both parties can feel vulnerable: do I know enough to say anything? What if people tell me they hate it?
I would sit in those critiques feeling all kinds of anxious: “Will people like my work? What will they say?” After some time I began to feel frustration. No one was willing to say much of anything at all. How could any of us improve without outside perspective and feedback?
This doesn’t only apply to art, it can be a reflection of our lives. How do you navigate any kind of confrontation? Skills like this extend well beyond the confines of our studio.
I wonder how many art students sit around and don’t share what is really on their mind during a critique?
Art factoid: the word critique does not mean you are guaranteed to receive negative feedback, or mean-spirited feedback. Critique in the art world is an opportunity to get feedback. If you read or hear someone say something about critical feedback in a more academic setting it’s not about being mean-spirited or feedback that describes the work as unsuccessful: it’s only about feedback to better your work.
As time passed I became an art teacher and then had to lead critiques for my students. I was no longer the student waiting to hear good (and maybe bad!) things about my art, I was the one guiding people. And over time, I’ve observed three stages artists experience when part of the feedback process.
Approval Stage: Wants/needs approval and support to keep making.
Artists at this stage feel especially vulnerable about their art. The slightest (even misperceived) comment could derail their creative efforts. Artists at this stage have a hard time even sharing their work and it can feel like the art is an extension of their entire person. Thus, any feedback on their art isn’t about the art, it’s about them.
Unfortunately, countless people stop making art at this stage. The lack of specialized support or awareness of this experience being completely normal shames people out of trying again.
Other signifiers of this stage:
Comments about your art make you feel defensive.
You are reluctant to post or share your art with others.
You often feel feedback is harsh or hurtful.
You never ask for outside feedback.
Do you feel fear to put your art up on a wall? Are you scared to show anyone your work at all?
Apprentice Stage: Wants feedback from outside sources all of the time.
Artists in this stage have found ways to cope with their vulnerability and feel super driven to learn from everyone around them. They soak in as much feedback as they can. Artists in Apprentice Stage accept they can still feel sensitive to commentary about their art and learn information from others that helps their art.
The focus here for artists is on external approval, similar to stage one, but here the key difference is artists are capable of taking feedback to better their artwork. They may or may not be confident enough yet to consider and trust their own feedback.
Other signifiers of this stage:
You feel like everyone is more experienced than you.
You spend time worrying about what others think more than about the artistic choices in your artwork.
You are eager to share your work with others.
There are times where we can be the perfect student, getting the feedback we need from everyone around us. But what about our own inner voice? Can’t our inner artist guide us, too?
Autonomy Stage: Understands and embraces the ebb and flow of the feedback process.
Artists experiencing this stage have realized there is give and take in the world of feedback and that all feedback is not created equally. Because of this, they’ve begun to trust themselves to assess their own art as well as the quality and worth of feedback from others.
Sometimes they may not ask for feedback from external sources at all!
An artist in this stage can more effectively remove themselves from the “taking it personally” when someone shares an idea about their art they don’t like or agree upon.
Other signifiers of this stage:
You trust yourself to make the final judgement in your work.
You sometimes feel like your peers are sensitive about their art.
You can’t imagine not getting feedback to help inform your choices
A blank canvas is filled with opportunity. So is an art critique, if you are open to it.
I want to be clear here, this is not about stages of advancement, each stage is interrelated to the next. I can experience all three stages in a single critique, or in a single day! It’s some of the ebb and flow of vulnerability we face as we choose to explore our creativity. Some may perceive the first two stages as signs of weakness and feel ashamed they are in those stages.
You should NEVER feel ashamed about it. It is natural at some point to feel this way and in today’s perfectionist, achievement driven culture we are guided away from trying new things. All of these stages are a natural consequence of the world we live in… there is nothing wrong with you for feeling vulnerable about your art. Vulnerability is a natural part of the creative process. For some reason, we’ve tried to convince ourselves we don’t need it and try to avoid it as much as possible. That is another article for another day.
It’s good to check in with yourself about your stage before you share your work because you better understand your feedback needs, which we discussed in last week’s article. Knowing yourself and checking in with yourself before and even during a critique could help you have a more beneficial critique.
I still dream of an ideal critique environment. Our community definitely shares some of my dream qualities of a strong critique space. I’m grateful artists can share at all levels and feel welcome and encouraged.
I can still remember sitting in my studio, knowing I needed help but feeling like I had no one to turn to for feedback aside from my professor.
Critique does not have to be one giant put down that makes you feel like you were never an artist. It is a space we can cultivate to develop and refine our skill, our artist voice, our message. You can, starting today, make a conscious choice to see critiques as what they really are: a tool to help you better your art.
“How do you navigate feedback as a creative?” (Click to Tweet)
Be Courageously Creative: Which stage do you spend most of your time in? What is one thing you can do to help yourself feel successful with your art in this stage? I want to know, tell me more in the comments below.
Great article, Carrie! Thank you so much! As always, your timing was perfect. So much of what you said here resonated with my own experiences with classroom critiques, the crickets in them, and the anxiety that went along with them (whether being critiqued or giving one, there was so much tension!), but they were SO helpful for improving our work. I miss those critiques now. lol
I usually hang out between the Apprentice and Autonomy stages, but this past week I found myself sitting smack dab in the middle of the Approval stage, scared to death to share what I’d made. I usually want critiques, but if someone told me they were horrible, or to make some major changes because it didn’t look “right”, I would be devastated. Those pieces feel very much an extension of myself, much more than usual of the stuff I paint. In fact, unlike most of my work, I have no intention of selling the originals.
Anyways, awesome article. You nailed it. I really like how you broke down the stages. It helped me understand what I was going through and why. I’ll never be able to thank you enough, or express to you how much you’ve helped me. (((hugs)))
Jenn I just want to send giant hugs in your direction. The example you lead by sharing your journey and vulnerability is SO important. Not only is it good for you, it helps countless others take that very risk with their art too.
Sometimes I think we hope with experience we will never return to that Approval stage, but it’s always there. It’s part of the process. I really thought once I made it to a gallery setting, or won something I’d lose it, but it’s still there. And it is stronger for some works versus others. It’s also important that we take steps for self-care and honor the stage we are in, even if we aren’t happy about it! (Oh, that is soooo advice I need to take myself).
I’m so glad you are sharing your work with others despite those fears. And I’m honored you continue to be part of the Artist Strong community.
Carrie – what a great article and one I wish I had read years ago while trying to navigate these stages without even knowing what they were. I loved hearing, “I love that” or “Wow you did a great job” but after a while I realized that these comments that made me feel good did not help push me forward in making my art better. I knew I would need to let go of my seeking approval and get serious feedback if I really wanted to improve. Finally I met an artist who asked me if I would like to send her some of my work and she would critique it and send back suggestions. This has helped me so much both in my painting and in getting to know myself better. This past month she asked me to give her suggestions and that felt better than the previous compliments. She trusted my ideas. I love art not only because it is a part of me but I feel sharing it gives me so many opportunities to see myself better and grow and stretch as a person….maybe becoming a different color or just seeing the world different. Thank you for letting me be a part of this great group!
“She trusted my ideas.” Oh, isn’t this what it’s all about! Trust and mutual respect can lead to so much growth. Thank YOU for being here and thank you for sharing.