— The one question many of my new students ask me that I wish they wouldn’t is this: “Can you give me a creative critique”?
Often they’ll even admit that they haven’t even finished Module 1 of the course. And already they’re worried about how well they’re doing, whether their piece is “good” or not, how they can “improve it.”
They’ve barely learned to employ layer masks and already they’re seeking artistic approval. Some are even worried already about cultivating their own “style.” And I get the feeling that what they’re hoping for is some kind of ongoing dialogue concerning this specific piece, with the idea that the right kind of feedback will enable them to work at it some more, and work at it some more, and work at it some more, and maybe, just maybe, eventually end up with a masterpiece.
But all I can do is sigh, and think, “It’s too soon. Too soon.”
And the problem isn’t that they’re eager to improve. That I admire. The problem is that they’re already placing so much weight on a SINGLE IMAGE.
But it’s just one image.
Usually all that can be said of it is: “Looks nice. Make another!”
Because when an artist is first starting out, there’s still a tremendous amount to learn.
Maybe it’s a digital art thing. No one expects to establish a unique style the first month he takes up a paint brush. No one writes the first few chapter of a first novel and sends it to a book editor asking what he thinks of it.
Developing oneself in any field of art, honing one’s skill in any kind of craft — it all takes time.
So for a long while you just throw yourself into it. You create not for applause, but for the JOY of it.
You don’t worry about what others think. And you don’t stress out over any one particular piece. You don’t fret over any one particular image, and you don’t labor it to death. You just finish it. And you move on.
If you want to live an artistic life, you’re going to create HUNDREDS of pieces (probably THOUSANDS).
You’re going to be creating art week after week, month after month, for years and years and years to come.
(Or at least I hope you will be.)
Which is why when a complete beginner approaches me for an earnest “critique” of his or her first few images, I just sort of sigh inwardly …
Because what they send me is probably good. An early effort, clearly. But nice enough for that. And by and large, there’s just not much more you can say about it.
What I usually end up saying is something like, “Looks good! Now go get busy creating another.”
But this whole hyper-concern over a single image isn’t the exclusive prerogative of beginning artists. I see it even in seasoned artists who should know better. They’ll post an image on Facebook, fail to garner enough “Likes” or comments to reassure their fragile egos, and then disappear for months. Or they’ll send in a piece of art as a submission to our magazine, and when it doesn’t get chosen, they’ll write in asking why it wasn’t picked, asking how they can improve it, asking how they can revise it so that it can be reconsidered …
Fact is, we get HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of images submitted for the magazine each month. Not everything can make it to publication. And if a piece isn’t selected, it just isn’t selected. (And that could be for any of a dozen different reasons.)
Rather than stress and fret over it though — it’s just ONE image — better to just dive back in and create some more art. Send in something else next month.
What you don’t do is fall into a funk, question your artistic worth, or (worst of all) quit.
No. It’s just one image. So what?
Get back to work.
Because the thing is … In the end, you must create art for its own sake, and for the joy it brings you.
You must sit down again and again to your work because to NOT create would drive you half mad.
Now, eventually, after you’ve been at it a while, it might be perfectly appropriate to approach the more advanced artists around you and invite critiques of your work. You shouldn’t expect much from it (mostly all they can do is point out what they like and maybe suggest something different they might have tried if it had been their work), but there’s no harm in asking, and if it makes you feel good about what you’re doing, that’s always nice.
But I do urge you to treat each piece you create with a little more levity.
Your worth as an artist (much less your sanity or your happiness) should never hang in the balance, hinging upon one particular piece of art you create.
It’s just one piece.
Some turn out, some don’t. It’s not a big deal.
So just keep creating.
And in time, you get better.
Which is awesome.
But the most important thing is just to enjoy the work and have fun along the way.
It really is.
– Sebastian