Oh, and don't buy American.
What? Don't you care about your country?
Of course I do - but supporting manufacturers because of geographic location or membership in a group is devolutionary. Good products come through trial and error and plenty of failure. Good companies too. Products are like living organisms and giving artificial unearned support will only weaken a product by providing positive feedback for poor performance and secure mediocrity. If you really want a company to evolve you should only support them when they have earned your business. In nature if an organism can't cut it - it get's replaced.
So shouldn't we want the same for our books, art, illustration, animation, ebooks, and story apps? Shouldn't we wish for an honest critique even thought what we hear or read might be very painful? Of course we want a 5 star review and a description that will send customers flocking to our _______, but what if it's undeserved? How do you feel when you watch, read, or use something you bought because of a good review - only to be disappointed later? We are fast becoming a society that relys on reviews more than ever. With more products and services available online we often buy items that we don't get to experience until they reach our doorstep or tablet.
If you and I want to survive and thrive we need to create - get good feedback - make changes and create again - repeating this process over and over. We shouldn't get caught up in trying to game the system with "like me" - "vote for me" - "give me a good review" or "give me a 5 star rating". This is time WELL wasted! If your product doesn't cause an emotional change in your target audience you failed - isn't it wonderful? Wonderful because you did it! Rather than trying to peddle a bike with flat tires make a new bike - one that's pumped up and ready to go. Ask for an honest critique so you can evolve and say "thank you."
Our society, especially the younger generation, has been raised to expect a pat on the back for everything. "ooh,, you breathed, have a trophy!" I totally agree with you Will. It's not un American to to buy quality with your hard earned cash, that is why I drive a Toyota. We should expect the same with our art. Clients speak with their wallets and if they are not opening them for you, make better art.
ReplyDeleteamen!
DeleteAgree!
ReplyDeleteIt's great to have a friend or two you can trust to give you honest critique. I place more value on the one negative comment out of 100 compliments. That isn't to say the criticism is always going to be right, but mostly if someone's gone out of their way to comment they're probably talking some sense. I think criticism is hard to take but very valuable. In fact I'd say it can be as hard to give as it is to take.
ReplyDeleteGood point Daniel - it's harder for me to give criticism for sure.
DeleteWell said Will and I agree, but getting honest feedback on my work is very rare for me. Either people have nothing to say or I get the "it's cute" comment but never anything more than that. Can you shed some light as to why this happens? because am at a lost as to why it happens.
ReplyDeleteGood question Robert - I think it's because we were never really taught to develop this essential skill as a children. We're mostly programed to avoid conflict or the chance of conflict and telling someone the truth even if it's what needs to be said isn't natural.
DeleteCould also be that the person you're asking doesn't have the skill to actually know good from great in the area you work in. So first step, choose your critics (or potential critics) wisely.
DeleteAnother excellent point - take each crit with a grain...
DeleteAs Jan Van Eyck put on his paintings: "Als ich kan", translated as 'As Best I Can' or 'As Well As I Can'. That is what I think is missing. I don't think we always strive for the best that we can do, to much reliance on hype without the substance.
ReplyDeleteAgreed - producing quality was never easy and never will be and most will try to avoid it because of the sacrifice.
DeleteHi Will,
ReplyDeleteI'm really digging your substantive and thought-provoking posts. That said, I only agree with you in part (we're talkin' honesty here, right?). I agree that if we are talking about a common market environment -- ala Adam Smith -- where everyone is milling around the same market place, under the same conditions/rules, with access to the same information and currency -- then yes, it is survival of the fittest. However, in a globalized market we're talking about different economies where, for example, a Chinese company with no respect for intellectual property rights can steal your style, character, ideas and give it to a classically trained artist to copy for pennies. It becomes the race to the bottom. I think there needs to be some protections in the 'market place of ideas.'
Regarding social media, I totally agree with you. The reality is the "likes" represent social CAPITAL which can be translated into actual capital. Being relatively new to all this, it got me thinking.... how do I really want to use this new "thang"? I decided that for now, as I'm trying to work through ideas and visuals I am just going to use social media as a new form of creative space that helps me to formulate and structure percolating ideas on art, anthropology, astronomy and democracy. I doubt I will ever have an audience I can "resell" to advertisers or demonstrate a "platform" to publishers. But I do believe that waters seek their own levels, so I'm not worried :)
Best,
L
I don't see this as a problem. Sure there will be knock offs of great art - there always have been. But they won't be innovators. As an artist I create and move on. Create and move on. I can't be burdened by the thought that someone might siphon off dollars that would have gone to me. To me that would be backwards thinking and life is too short. Having said that however I'm all for laws that protect intellectual property as long as they don't end up hurting artists in the end...like the orphan works bill that was defeated.
DeleteI find a lot of people don't want your honest opinion they want you to tell them they are great and their work is perfect.
ReplyDeleteFor me I feel very, very grateful when someone takes the time out of their busy schedules to have a look at my work and drop me a line. To me that's time they could be spending on something that could be making them money.
I think a lot of artists need to learn to grow some thicker skin and use the feedback to become a stronger artist. I've gotten a few crits that were hard for my ego to take over the years but after calming down and really looking at what was being said...it ended up being true and helped me in the long run.
Right on! I find it interesting when someone - especially someone in their 30's plus doesn't want a critique...but perhaps they've been wounded by someone who has been careless and thoughtless with their words.
DeleteAmen. Great post, Will.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI like spam when it's wrapped in seaweed and rice :)
DeleteGreat post. Nothing like honest feedback. Even if it's negative, or plays with the ego a little, that small amount of pain is simply a reflection of how much soul and passion the artist (of any medium) places into their work. Negative feedback isn't always correct, but it's always worth considering, and definitely acknowledging. If someone gives negative feedback I think of it this way: what I created must've created some positive impact on the person, otherwise, they would never had taken the time to provide the feedback in the first place, and that they must care just a little ;)
ReplyDeleteYou are soooo right! We really should fear the "non-comment" ....
DeleteI totally agree with you , Will. I hate undeserved good reviews. I always check product/book reviews before making a purchase and it's disappointing when you find out that the 1 out of 1000 negative review was the only honest feedback. As a children's books author myself, I find criticism and negative feedback very helpful. I believe constructive criticism makes me a better writer.
ReplyDeleteIt's actually our fault. We teach our children that it's impolite to tell someone that something he did was bad. Maybe we find it easier to make them say undeserved compliments instead of teaching them how to give constructive criticism.
Jeff Rivera
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