(Hopefully Mike won’t mind I am sharing his quote, but he pointed out something I’ve been wanting to discuss.)
I remember the first critique in my college design class. A young woman, about 19 years old, had just been given a sound critique of her first finished work. A work, which she had boasted was finished, painted by the hair off her own head (because her brush broke), working hours into the night for weeks. She was pleased with the completion of what she believed was her best work yet. But, to her dismay the professor pointed out minor imperfections here and there, as well as the flawed methods used. Then she was told how she could improve for the next work.
In a shaken state, the student stormed out of the room, proclaiming the teacher a fool, and the students fools for listening to her. Not the sincerity in the professor’s advice, nor the critiques already mentioned of other student works outweighed her perception. It was like we weren’t even there. Like the only artwork in the room amidst the 20 other pieces was hers alone. And it had been torn and shuffled in pieces before the entire class like a piece of steak.
Perhaps she was over-confident, competitive or immature. That tends to be an obstruction in many an artist’s work. One thing I do know, is when you put that much time into something, you feel so sure you’ve made the best work you could possibly ever make. That it’s beyond reproach. Beyond criticism. And that others will see it the same. It’s like you’ve put yourself into that work.
That girl put her heart and soul into that work, and her heart was basically crushed.
Of course, truth hurts. As an artist, no matter what their medium (dance, painting, acting, music, etc) there is a profound bravery in sharing that with someone. You are expressing from somewhere deep within that is very personal, very private and therefore it’s sensitive. It takes an amazing willpower and passion to overcome many fears. So, to hear someone doesn’t like what you’ve made, or thinks you could do better can be painful. Dreadfully painful.
Do you respond with hatred, with anger?
Do you respond with curiosity?
Can you continually evolve and better your work through the non-existence of criticism?
In order to grow, we have to be open to being told when we need work in something. We have to accept when our work is utter shit. And THEN we get better at it. As Michael Patrick said, Honesty = Better art.
Ask yourself: What are the factors involved in your failure? Where did I go wrong here? Can I see the problem as well?
You’re only hurting yourself if you refuse to listen. You as an audience are hurting an artist’s work if you are too afraid to tell them when it’s bad. Honesty, though it’s immediate effects seem harmful, are the most positive, caring response to the artist. To yourself, as an artist. Be honest, be open, be willing and take risks.
Risk your heart being hurt.
I think your post is excellent. I do think that constructive criticism (and I do mean constructive) is important for an artist or any person seeking the need to grow in ones profession. Should we put our heart and soul into our work yes and yet at the same time knowing and understanding that when we decide to share it with the world it is no longer ours.
However my question to you and the person who’s comment you quoted who gets to decide whats “utter shit”? And how does one determine this “utter shitness” of it all. There have been times when I created pieces I couldn’t stand then to my surprise others loved it. So how can one or two people speak on the behalf of dozens.
Now its a whole different story if people as a whole agree but what are the odds….I’m just saying.
great point! Yes, there’s definitely a healthy amount of subjectivism in art, but we can’t overlook that art is also a skill. I believe it’s possible to think something sucks while also discerning if it was done skillfully or not. I think the topic we are really discussing is skills and talent. Not a matter of the piece of on a personal level.
You have to remember what we mean by: “this sucks”. Do you look alone at the colors or voice, or are you able to definitively respond to the skills used in that art? There are two sides to the coin.
And we’re not talking just about drawings or design. We’re talking all arts – performance and visual.
Well my friend if skill is the matter than I happily digress 8~)
Hey,
Nice post. This is the note I posted as a more detailed follow-up. It was more in regards to acting, stage performance, and talent…specifically the things I mention in the note below.
I should preface this note by saying it’s being written in an angry and confused state, and I don’t apologize for speaking my mind or being honest.
This is a look at the casting process of theater moving towards valuing a name over the quality of a performance, or a production being put up for the potential of it’s ability to make money, rather than hold any artistic merit.
I just read the press releases that more film actors are coming to Broadway in new shows opening, and while some are exciting prospects who have given great stage performances before and earned their place, others are dismal attempts to purely sell tickets using the name or “celebrity” of the actor.
After seeing recent shows on Broadway, I have been angered and conflicted with the fact that people unfamiliar with the craft of acting see these shows under the assumption that a show on Broadway is the “highest” level of performance they can see. The affect here is when they go to see a name, they are often more enthralled with the “celebrity” than the performance, and this can cause a blurring of lines between good and bad performance.
I have seen David Mamet’s Oleanna which stars Bill Pullman and Julia Stiles, and Mamet-speak is hard to grasp for most actors, but to see a performance where both actors look like they’ve been plucked from the dregs of a highschool talent competition get a standing ovation (from the first two rows) really breaks my heart.
note: the rest of the audience remained seated and only offered mild applause.
My point? There are great talents out there, specifically ones who could have given a stirring performance of this play (a play written by a playwright who claims to be “all about the art”). You won’t see them on Broadway however, because they don’t have the names to sell tickets.
I do understand that it is a business and money has to be made, but I also understand that is an art and the quality of it is rapidly being diminished by the Hollywood rush to Broadway.
After seeing Oleanna, I have never sat in or left a theater with an audience having had less of an impact made on them by the work on the stage. I wanted to talk to all of them, and tell them that the gutsy moving work is still out there, the daring performances that separate the stage from the screen and differentiate the two crafts still exists…I wanted to apologize to them.
Not to say that those actors who have earned their spot on the stage and transition back and forth between the two mediums don’t bring a lot to the table – James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano) is incredible in God of Carnage.
That being said, I am not a critic of theater. I am someone who loves it, who lives in it, and has committed his life to it since the age of fifteen. I am someone who takes a seat in a theater not to see stars, but to see the lives on stage of the characters and be moved by them.
I appreciate others who truly live for their performance to deliver an impact on the audience, and this goes with the knowledge that not every performance will be a success. Julia Stiles had played Viola in NYC in Shakespeare in the park and she was equally awful there. But it seems that the people in the front two rows knowing they were close to celebrities? felt the need to leap to their feet in applause. I was in the tenth row…maybe I missed something. I know I didn’t miss two actors with total disregard for maintaining a level of quality for theater at the “highest” level.
I applaud any actors attempt to get on stage, but not putting a name before someone who can do the work. Nor do I applaud that actor taking the role and due to their ability to sell tickets being applauded and told they are giving a great performance when they are obviously not.
I am fully aware that this note doesn’t help my career any, but hopefully it helps those who hold back their honest opinions and frustrations want to fight a little more to change the way things are done.
I firmly believe that if the work is good people will come and see it. There is a large list of film actors “celebrities” making their way to Broadway for their theatrical debuts in the near future, and a large list of unknown actors doing amazing work in full commitment to making change through their art.
I don’t know about anyone who reads this, but that is what I want to see. The actor who makes me feel and think, has an impact on my life through their work.
I am scared that a theater audience may generally become less and less aware of seeing a great performance because they will be attending Broadway shows starring the cast of The Hills, and eventually accept it as a good performance.
I mean the film industry is getting away with remaking movies we saw less than a decade ago and still earning 100 million dollars at the box office. As they say “money is money”.
So why should we care about how we make it? We didn’t come here to make art, we came here to have fancy bathroom fixtures!
I want to be honest with you. I am here to make art, and you may never know my name, or see me perform. I will be happy however knowing that I have never been given a role. I am twenty-six and have been in over 46 shows. I’ve talked to the audience, and I’ve had some of the most moving conversations, connections, and relationships in my life. I am constantly working at this, and may never figure out how to understand it or just work with it, but I will always be honest about it.
I love it.
Wow, Michael. This is wonderful. You should share this. I think that you comment on the subject articulately and respectfully. This should be shared with anyone who understands or has a love for the theater. The art of it. Amazing.
There has been and always will be a large segment of the populace that gets excited about awful work. The same thing happens in technology, services, and other industries. People often don’t recognize something as being poorly done unless they have a lot of exposure to the best.
Food is a good example. Farmer’s markets offer better food by far than grocery stores, yet the stores abound. Good enough is good enough in most cases.
That’s why it’s so risky to put art out there. Being soundly rejected or criticized hurts, but giving your very best and in return receiving…nothing…hurts far more, IMHO.
There’s a lot of risk in Art. That’s why it’s art. Take it, let is wash over you, then move on.
God I love this stuff. We need more commentary like this. Thanks Natasha. @Mike I agree with you 100% couldn’t have said it better. @Cory “That’s why it’s so risky to put art out there. Being soundly rejected or criticized hurts, but giving your very best and in return receiving…nothing…hurts far more, IMHO.” yes indeed.
Natasha: I responded more to your question: Can you continually evolve and better your work through the non-existence of criticism? The answer is no, and I’ve had to take a hard look in the mirror and realize that a project I poured my heart and soul into for more than a decade was a waste of time. The thing is, I never put it out there. I was too afraid to risk. I did try to get it published, but nobody was interested or even got what it was. After 10 years, I started a blog, and as they say, they “stayed away in droves.” This year I just ran out of steam and quit. I was stubbornly unwilling to give it up, even though I was getting nothing in return. My efforts to turn it into something to put out there kept failing, yet I wouldn’t give up. Something happened recently and now I just don’t care. Maybe something clicked when I turned 45. My husband tells me: at least I found out before it’s too late to change. Re: previous sh*t discussions: people can’t tell you if your art is sh*t if you are a chickensh*t.
Love your post. It is so true that we need to listen to constructive criticism. I like how you put it, can you learn and grow without it. I like that way of stepping back and taking a look at our behavior.
absolutely! I hope that I remain open. There are so many more people out there who’ve experienced things I haven’t yet or may never have. Thankyou for your comment!