We cannot make our professional critics more healthy or more loving or more constructive than they are. But we can learn to comfort our artist child over unfair criticism. We can learn to find friends with whom we can safely vent our pain. We can learn not to deny and stuff our feelings when we have been artistically savaged. (pg 70 The Artist Way, Julia Cameron).
I think as artists we can lear to take criticism well and learn something from it. We do have to see though, where and how it is coming from. We are usually our biggest critics, so we really have to know how to take criticism from others.
I THINK THAT HARSH SELF CRITICISM IS ARTISTIC ABUSE.
Our JUDGE (our big big critic) should not have a say in our art. We should not allow our judge or our victim to play a role in our art.
Our art belongs to our creative child. To this artist child we have to protect, to nurture. The minute we engage our art to pleasing others, we are neglecting that child.
When we protect our artist child, we can take criticism with objectivity, as long as we do not loose sight of where it is coming from.
We also have to know who to show our art to, specially after a period of being blocked and insecure. I think we have to achieve certain maturity as artists, specially when it comes to taking criticism, but we have to make sure we do not change the attitude of our child artist, that is the spontaneous creator of what we make.
Good thoughts, Patricia. I agree, don't allow negative comments to change your spirit or stifle your creativity. But being able to accept positive criticism that can improve the process is very important. Great teachers are priceless.
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