Critical Thoughts
If you follow me on Facebook, you have probably seen me wax philosophic on the subject of art and criticism. If you have managed to miss those musings (or if you have wisely chosen to wait until I have collected them in one place and removed a bit of the ranting) that is the subject of today’s blog post.
Let me start by saying that there was a time, when we were first starting out, that I reacted very poorly to honest criticism. I was anxious about the work we were doing. When people I respected came to me to say they found aspects of our work wanting, or with suggestions about how we might improve, I was defensive. When they described our work as an embarrassment to Thelema, I was hurt and angry.
That is often the case with art. No sooner have we begun to create something than people will come forward and try to help us make it better. And often as not, it is truly intended as an offer of assistance. In the early stages, when we are still finding our voices, and getting out feet under ourselves, I suspect there is an absence of awareness on the part of those “helpers” of just how fragile that process can be.
As an aside, my first bit of practical advice here is to be mindful of this fragile state when talking with your cast and crew. For the majority of performers, theater is the realm of amateurs, people who are literally creating for the love of the project or process. Correction and redirection is always most effective when delivered with tact, kindness, and even better when coupled with enthusiasm. Rather than criticize how someone is performing, simply framing the desired change as an inspired new approach can work very well, provided you are not given to sarcasm.
That said, the topic I am covering today is criticism of your creative work, and how to handle it.
The Power of Art
All criticism is a reaction to your art. Simply sitting with that is powerful. Any reaction to the art you have created is a result of your efforts. It abides as a living example of how your creative process has made some impact on the world. Therefore, any criticism is a measure of your success as an artist.
I will remind myself of this before diving into any review of our work.
From there, I find it is best to categorize (or critique) the criticism. You would be surprised how satisfying this process is, once you get the hang of it.
I like to start by placing the criticism that I have received over the years into four broad categories.
- Bullshit
- Friends
- Fans
- Professionals
Gardening 101
Let’s start with Bullshit. If you put your art on the internet, you are going to see a great deal of this category, although it is not limited to online forums. While there is an adage: “Don’t read the comments”, if you have comments enabled (and there are very good reasons for doing so in terms of outreach and engagement) someone will have to read and police those comments. Sometimes it will be something simple and vulgar, easily deleted or ignored. Other times it will be a long and hateful screed… yet strangely, also easily deleted or ignored. I do give the longer screeds points for effort.
While many would argue that these type of remarks have no practical value at all, I would say they will damn sure toughen you as an artist. Not that I think these hateful types are trying to help, but succeeding despite vulgar or unhinged detractors can be deeply satisfying.
I have literally had someone refer to one of my projects as a “piece of shit” to my face, in front of a room full of people. It was awkward. Also, it was entirely useless. The hallmark of bullshit criticism, be it long or short, vulgar, or oh, so polite, is that it is 100% useless as criticism.
There is nothing practical I can learn or apply from a critique that refers to my project as fecal matter, or suggests that Aleister Crowley would not approve, or demands that Ancient Egyptians have been mischaracterized and maligned by my work. So I refer to this type of criticism as bullshit, a substance whose only practical application is fertilizer. When I am feeling like a need a reason to soldier on, spiting these bastards can be reason enough.
People who love to help
This next category is for your friends, your family, and the people who know how you could be so much more successful, if only you would follow their advice.
First, let me say that after dealing with the previous category a few times, you will love to hear from these people. Even if they are disappointed in everything about your project, if they go to the trouble to say something intended to be useful, reflecting the actual content of what you did, it is such a breath of fresh air! And bonus points if they can do so without referring to bodily functions!
This category of criticism can be weighed according to it’s merit. Which as an artist is a blessing! Honest feedback can be difficult to garner, difficult to deliver, and difficult to hear. So the effort going into this communication should not be understated, and it is best to accept it graciously.
Some of it will be useful. And some won’t. Decide which is which on your own time, and act accordingly. Do not inform these critics if their criticism will be useful, and be certain to thank them for their feedback.
People who love your art
This is probably the favorite category of feedback an artist can receive. Praise. Adoration. Somebody bought a t-shirt. It is the best feeling.
And often, it is also much like the first category, in so far as it is not really that useful to development as an artist. If you ignore all the voices excepting those that sing your praises, it is like a diet of pure candy! Super sweet, but not nourishing.
Fans are the people who have reached to your art with appreciation, and even love. Something about what you created appeals to them. As long as you are creating something that you also love, this is a win-win, and it can make you feel like there are exactly that many people who understand your vision, and adhere to your view of the subject. But that is not really true. You will never hear from everyone who was touched by your work, and people will like or dislike what you create for their own reasons, and those will seldom align directly with yours.
Art is often a matter of taste, and not everyone who likes your art will agree with you about what it means, or why it is good. Let them enjoy it for their own reasons. There is no reasons to correct a fan, unless they are grossly misrepresenting you. Whenever possible, be gracious.
Gatekeepers
The last category is the most useful. An honest review from a professional writer.
Here is where a great deal of learning can happen. Here is the impartial voice that has an opinion about your creation, and is willing to provide feedback about what does and doesn’t work well, and why. (The friends category might also contain this type of information, but categorically it may not be reliably neutral.)
Any review will still be subject to a critics own tastes and proclivities, and that is all to the good. Any critics regular audience will likely have similar tastes and proclivities, and employ the criticism provided to ascertain if your art suits their collective taste.
You will seldom find professional or semi-professional critics being vulgar, or giving vague feedback. They have or are building a reputation, and that reputation is constructed around delivering an accurate assessment of your work to their audience, in order to set their readers expectation about the content of your art.
The net result of this is feedback that is both clear and objective, and that cites particular areas that worked well, and areas that could be improved, often with clear suggestions of how that might be achieved.
Of course, there are a few professionals who have built a career out of being cruel or witty at the expense of the artists they review. Happily, as an artist, you can usually spot these and dump them into the bullshit category, and move on.
Something that somebody said
A final takeaway, if I can offer one, is to restate what I said above. Criticism is a reaction to your art. It is something resulting from your work. And it is no more or less than that. Something somebody said after exploring your creation. And you can learn from it if it is useful. Or ignore it if it is not.
And the person who decides if it is useful is you. Always you.
That is your power as a creator. When you use your passion to create, all those reacting voices are the echos of your voice, shouting your truth to the Universe.