Improve your artwork and grow stronger with fellow creatives

There are some things and challenges only other artists may understand! Friends and family mean well but they don’t necessarily have the same vocabulary that other artists do when you are looking for feedback on your work. In today’s episode we talk about the benefits of in person art critiques, the community that can bring, and the elements to be cautious of when entering a new group of creatives.

The Value of Critique for Artists

In 2019 Adriana and I met at an artist critique hosted through VAE. We were both seeking connection with other local artists and wanting creative accountability in order to grow as creatives. We both still value art critiques because they are not only a great place to meet other artists, but they also serve as a space to talk about your art, get feedback on how to possibly improve your work, and get ideas for new directions your work can take.

What Value Can Art Critiques bring?

Get your work into a new environment (lighting/context)

Seeing your work in a new context, outside of the space you created it in, can give you a fresh perspective on the work. Seeing it in different lighting, on a different wall color, and isolated from your larger collection of art, can also help you strengthen the work and highlight improvements that may need to be made.

Build a Community

There are some things and challenges only other artists may understand! Friends and family mean well but they don’t necessarily have the same vocabulary that other artists do when you are looking for feedback on your work

By building a local artist community you will be able to share resources, including opportunities for upcoming calls and exhibitions. You can also discuss supplies, techniques and ways to make the art making process easier! Meeting new artists can bloom into friendships and even business partnerships down the road. Some artists are also good about generating ideas and solutions which could help you figure out new iterations and directions in your work!

Art Critique groups also give you the opportunity to get more comfortable talking about your artwork and test the waters before showing your work to non-artist strangers.

Artwork Feedback (Pros)

(+) Critique groups give you, as the artist, a fresh and more removed perspective of your work
(+) Outside points of view can see which elements in your work pop or make an impact for others
(+) In these groups you will get feedback on how to improve the artwork, elements of design, and composition to make it a stronger piece.
(+) Depending on the subject, and/or intended message, you can discuss with others how to talk about the piece and maybe even refine the way we talk about it. That could lead to changes made to the piece itself!

Artwork Feedback (Cons)

(-) It is good to listen to everyone’s critique BUT, as a disclaimer, you don’t have to follow what other people think you “should” do
(-) Art critiques are a place to get feedback, aka various opinions, so you can take them with a grain of salt

Episode Action Item

Search for local groups and put yourself out there
If there aren’t any that you can find, group together peers that challenge you and want creative feedback as well
If that’s still a challenge, look online - there are virtual groups you can join. The experience may not be quite as immersive, but it’s a place to start!

Take Away Advice: Don’t take any critique personally. Even though artwork can be vulnerable, it is not a critique of YOU.