The Art of Feedback
Everyone's got an opinion.
Making art and sharing it with the world means you will face judgment. People are going to have opinions about your creations. This is true whether you’re a master in your craft or just getting started.
Some people will love your art. They’ll collect it, commission it, and give some of it as gifts.
Some people won’t like it at all. Or they won’t get it. They’ll dismiss it, and maybe even ridicule it.
When I was beginning, returning to creative writing as an adult nearing middle age, I was fortunate to find a community of writers where gentle, encouraging feedback is the primary offering. My friends at Firefly Creative Writing taught me to first answer the question “What do you love about this piece?” and to only offer ideas for change if the writer requests it. This was the perfect approach to help me find my voice on the page and build the confidence to share my work with the world.
When I make art that I’m planning to send out into the world, I share it first with a trusted group of friends, and if it’s a book, I add in a professional editor, and a proofreader. Depending on the content, I sometimes hire sensitivity readers, too. I ask these readers for thoughts and questions. I know they’ll point out typos and gaps in the content and other such problems as occur in the early versions of a work in progress. I don’t mind criticism. The input of others always makes my final product better, even if I don’t use every suggestion.
First and foremost, I make the art my heart needs. It soothes my soul and helps me make sense of things. I’m learning that my art will sometimes deeply touch some hearts. It’s powerful when someone approaches to tell me how moved they were by something I created. Still, I know not everyone will like everything I make. Some won’t like anything I make! That’s okay. I can handle all the feedback, knowing that there’s some kind of art out there for everyone and mine’s included somewhere in that milieu.
I’ve got new music coming out in May and June, and a new book is planned for July! Subscribe here or follow me on Instagram @art2healtheheart for updates!
