I was just thinking about critique. As artist students, we become used to it, right? We bring our work to classes, and everyone looks at it; most people try to think of nice things to say because no one wants to be the meany. But honestly, I usually cringe at critiques. They set off all my anxieties. What are people going to say? Am I any good? Was all my work for nothing? Do the LIKE ME??? So childish.
Now that I'm in grad school, critique has hit a new level that I've never experienced before. Every class includes at least 3 crits, and then there is the big committee review where the entire faculty, including people who have never seen you before, talk about your work! Plus, because we've been online since Shelter In Place, we have to go to the extra lengths of photographing (I'm no photographer, just a painter!) our artworks and considering the presentation of art not only as an image but as an actual object.
It just occurred to me this morning, though, what a true luxury it is to have our work critiqued and the immaturity of my previous viewpoint. What other time in your professional life do you have the opportunity to have several professionals look at your work and tell you what they see in your work. Whether they like it or not is immaterial, they are actually looking at your work, in a serious way, and this is a significant matter. This is actually an honor. And you know what? Most of the faculty at your school will probably treat your work with the respect it deserves; sometimes, you might run across the outlier who just wants to criticize but remember that is their problem, not yours. Try to remember that. I grew up as a dancer, I was trained to accept corrections and say thank you to my teachers. So now, as an emerging professional artist, I have to apply that lesson from dance.
Ok, go on with whatever you were doing now! I may go paint another butterfly.
