The artist and her audience can have an interactive relationship that
will build knowledge on both sides.
Here is a question that was posted on Quora:
Why are artist who are good don't think they are good at drawing?
People who usually see my work think I am a good artist; but I don't
feel the same way-when they think it is perfect I always think I could
have done better than I did.
Teacher Reflection:
As a professional art teacher it is important to help the student see
from many angles. One angle is through the eyes of her audience to
understand what the art is communicating to the viewer. In this
example, the audience offers feedback that the artist disagrees with.
Can overpraise hurt an artist? Yes, it can call a halt to creativity
because if the artist wants to please the audience, the artist simply
repeats the successful strategy. However, if the artist respects the
audience, a lot can be learned by asking questions back, such as, "Why
do you feel that way about this piece?" By continuing the conversation
you deepen your creative learning.
Here is my answer posted on Quora to help the artist put audience
praise in context:
Art making is a process that never ends. So, as an artist, you see
your works as part of your process that is always evolving. Others
however, see each of your works as finished products. Drawings are
rarely finished products for an artist. Drawing is a way of getting
ideas out of your head to work into a painting, sculpture, design,
character, fashion, etc. It is rather rare that drawing is meant to be
an end product. Artists see a vision of the end product with the
drawings as steps toward that product. The goal of each piece of art
is not perfection. A key goal of drawings is to lay the groundwork for
the next step in your creative life. If other people get joy from your
steps along the way, listen to your audience and ask what specifically
they find successful in your work. They may give you insights into
your strengths.
