A Musing #12
There’s always a balance in the universe with everything. That definitely includes critiques and feedback. Over the short duration I’ve been open, I’ve had plenty of mixed people come in and tell me how happy they are to have an artist in the neighborhood. Lots of positive feedback and discussions about my work. With all the great things being said, you still can’t learn from compliments.
A man came in the other day and opened up the dialogue with “Of all the work I see here, none of them will ever exist in an art history book”. Flashback this conversation to 2012 me and this conversation would have been over on the account that there would be no space in the studio to continue talking due to my enormous ego. He asked if he could continue and I encouraged him to which lead to obscure art references being thrown around and how my work isn’t original and has no feeling. I’ve preached it before about the real world and having to understand that not everyone is going to like you or your work. You can try all you want to make everyone happy, but there will always be at least one person who’ll dislike you because reasons.
He continued his feedback and I thanked him for the critique before he left. What he said didn’t upset me, but it did inspire me to create a little piece dedicated to him. What good would it have done if I argued? I don’t know the man, so I’d have to go after his appearance as a response? Call him “you looking like Elton Jon got his wardrobe from Ikea motherfucker”? Being an artist stepping into the Paris art scene, I’m not in a position to be rude and dismissive. Anyways, it’s too easy to fall into the rude artist character.
I’m comfortable with my work and with myself that it’s just another comment to me. Someone’s opinion won’t dictate my life. If you’re reading this to learn anything, remember everyone has an opinion and it’s nothing new. You decide what you want to do with that information, but don’t let it define you. Having been told my work is great by many people doesn’t mean I’m going to stop working or just keep repeating a formula so I can hear the same comments over and over again to feel happy with myself as an artist. I paint for my own reasons.
