How to give and receive criticism

Learning to give and receive criticism is a crucial skill set.  The purpose of good criticism is “to give the creator of the work more perspective and help them make their next set of choices.” A helpful critic will not be flippant, arrogant, or condescending. Instead, he or she will learn to separate their personal tastes from analytical feedback and look for the positive as well as point out areas for improvement.  In fact, the best mentors “provide good, consistent, honest feedback.”  They understand that unless they examine the intentions of the artist they can not even begin to provide helpful insight.  Sometimes the critique can stop at the level of intention and help the artist return to their work with a better understanding of the purpose behind their project.  There are usually four key assumptions behind bad criticism.  A negative critic is convinced that his or her opinion is universal truth.  They also believe they are the only one capable of correctly measuring the value of a work of art.  In fact, anyone who differs from their opinion is labelled an idiot. Finally, they believe that all valid criticisms “should always be resolved.”  Yet creative expression is an ongoing process and often open-ended.  When providing feedback to an artist it is important to remain humble and open to dialogue.  It is also much easier to give criticism than to receive it.  When working on a project it is helpful sometimes to get feedback long before something is due.  This input can improve the work but should not determine every aspect of it.  When receiving criticism learning to remain quiet and listen, instead of defending every point, will ultimately help the creative process.  Also, asking questions afterwards is often more productive than launching into an intense defense.  Good feedback should be milked for all its worth.  The key is learning to separate out the good from the bad and to ultimately stick to your own vision.  Any positive input or mentor along the way can only improve this vision. Becoming an artist that can provide positive criticism is clearly as important as becoming one who can receive it!