Feedback Thoughts
For this blog post, the two articles I read were "Make Good Art: Neil Gaiman’s Advice on the Creative Life" by Maria Popova and "Seven Ways to Crush Self-Doubt in Creative Work" by John Spencer. I was drawn to both articles because they specifically addressed creative occupations and work in the title, and creative work is a part of everything I do, whether it's for class, work, or hobbies. I always like reading about other's creative processes and tips for success, and these articles were no exception.
The first article was fairly brief, but the message was clear. Making mistakes is a natural part of the creative process, and is a crucial first step towards what we typically think of as success. Gaiman's way of phrasing this advice is much more humorous of course, but the message itself is important.
So important, in fact, that the second article by John Spencer also includes the same message. Spencer refers to mistakes as "the crap that makes growth possible", which is an easy way to remind yourself that growth can't happen without some trial and error. I like this article because it read like a series of gentle reminders. I often struggle with self-doubt, especially regarding any creative work I do. I've gotten past the shyness of sharing, but I often find myself wondering whether I really deserve the recognition or success that I have received. I think Spencer's advice of simply trusting yourself is really important, and is something that I'm definitely working towards.
As far as feedback itself goes, I love it! I started out in college as a studio art major, which basically means I made a lot of art and then listened to critique from my peers and professors on all of it. It definitely helped me to become less shy when sharing my work, and also positioned my mindset towards feedback as a chance to improve. Writing is a creative area that I'm less practiced in, but I'm looking forward to receiving feedback and having a chance to grow!
The first article was fairly brief, but the message was clear. Making mistakes is a natural part of the creative process, and is a crucial first step towards what we typically think of as success. Gaiman's way of phrasing this advice is much more humorous of course, but the message itself is important.
So important, in fact, that the second article by John Spencer also includes the same message. Spencer refers to mistakes as "the crap that makes growth possible", which is an easy way to remind yourself that growth can't happen without some trial and error. I like this article because it read like a series of gentle reminders. I often struggle with self-doubt, especially regarding any creative work I do. I've gotten past the shyness of sharing, but I often find myself wondering whether I really deserve the recognition or success that I have received. I think Spencer's advice of simply trusting yourself is really important, and is something that I'm definitely working towards.
As far as feedback itself goes, I love it! I started out in college as a studio art major, which basically means I made a lot of art and then listened to critique from my peers and professors on all of it. It definitely helped me to become less shy when sharing my work, and also positioned my mindset towards feedback as a chance to improve. Writing is a creative area that I'm less practiced in, but I'm looking forward to receiving feedback and having a chance to grow!
I'm ready for some peer reviews and comments!
(Image source: The Growth Mindset & Feedback Cats Blog)
Hi Alyx!
ReplyDeleteThe article you chose seem really interesting and provide good suggestions. I definitely do not like making mistakes and when it happens I view it really negatively and not as part of a process. But I do think that mistakes are part of life and that most mistakes help me to learn and grow. I agree that trusting yourself is really important and that feedback itself is usually a good thing. Also, I really like the picture your chose, it is cute, lighthearted and funny.
-Elyse