Artist Mentality... ?

For some reason, when someone asks my opinion I can't just say 'oh, that's nice.' I have to critique it, figure what stands out about it, and offer suggestions on how to make it better (imo). Sometimes leading people to thinking "Man, was it really that bad?" or to the point where I feel like the suggestions I give out potentially lead to hurting someone's feelings. I guess it's not really that big of a deal, but I feel like it is sometimes.

Anyone else have these tendencies or feelings sometimes?

I'd love to know if it's more common with artists and musicians, seeing as they more commonly criticize their own work and (some) strive for perfection?

 

artists, like any other interest group, have in common only this one thing that they share.
i make pictures. there are people who make pictures who i watch to see every new picture they make to post on line.
a very few, may have celebraty relatives or something. some are relatively successful in art as business.
that's not what i'm there for.
imagination is what i like to see.
personalities, honestly, they just very all over the place, just like everybody else.
there's a tendency, i suppose, to turn to creative expression, to even get relatively good at it,
as a kind of compensation for not really otherwise being very big or popular as a person in real life.

i think that's kind of what drives people who do become well known.
most usually don't until they've been 'discovered' long after they've been dead.

sorry to break the illusion, there is no 'artistic personality'
unless you want to call a tendency toward introversion one.

and even that, there have been and are, a LOT of notable exceptions.

i suppose more then average, art involves looking at things analytically. i see what the op is saying.
well most people i ever get to know, even a little tend to be that way.
those who aren't just aren't very much interesting to me.

but there's no hard fast rule, that everyone who does art tends to be that way.
but statistically, yes, i suppose it is more common among the creatively inclined, then the population as a whole.

its also, yes, something i see as a good thing.
(even though some people find it hard on their emotions too. but that's the tradeoff.
if you want to be able to unambiguously express and illustrate something you have in your mind,
how you see things, how you'd like people to be able to see them, without having to look at everything the same way all the time.
to get good enough at doing this that people can. well yes. that's what art is.)

 

I usually just give a noncommittal "Oh, that's interesting"



In reality that usually means it sucks...

 

sometimes i find myself critiquing things, and then realizing they never even asked in the first place.

 

I try to stay positive in things I say about anyone's art.....I had someone who was always telling me, no, do it this way...no, you need that there, etc...until i could not think at all anymore.

I have been searching for my own voice again...and think i am finally finding it again.

Positivity is like the food to grow a garden......

 

I don't think being a music critic inherently is part of an artist's mentality but critique can be useful as when done well, it shows 2 things: a) you know what you're talking about b) you connect enough with the music and can relate to it.

I have seen critique in computer coding recently, which many might not consider 'art' in the traditional sense but I think the desire for continual improvement and critique/recommendations can span many, many fields which people are passionate about.

 

Definitely can relate to that thought process. It has something to do with how much one must pay attention to detail when coding. Theres quite a bit of creative freedom, and a code file starts as an empty file like a blank canvas and theres many directions and possible choices to make. You have to think in advance too, about the consequences your choices will have layer on or else maybe have to go back and change a lot of stuff because you've coded yourself into a corner.

I consider it an art, different programmers can often come up with quite different solutions to the same problem. I have found myself wrapped up in the aesthetic appeal of some code I was working on more than a few times so theres that. Some code definitely looks "prettier" than others ... I dont like ugly code

 

Sure. I can relate pretty well.

I myself am sure this is not typically caused by an artist mentality. Anyone can have these urge and give in to it. Especially when asked for your opinion I notice a lot of people tend to give suggestions how, in their opinion, to do it better. Even when it was in the first place mainly just about if you like it or not teehee. It's natural.

 

Sometimes I can be tactless, but that's purely accidental! I think this is more a personality/mood type rather than vocational.

 

Problem marked as solved.



All interesting answers. I do tend to give input without asking sometimes, but not constantly or incessantly. I have known some people like that, how Moonglow was saying that constantly tell people how things could be better if they did things, more or less, "their way." That just drives me crazy lol. I also agree that there is no common type of 'artists' personality' but it could seem so to some. There are some stereotypical views that people hold against artists and musicians... well, and just about anyone that does anything they haven't done or haven't learned to do. So in essence I think an artist's personality may exist?

I agree with GB as well. How, when you do critique someone else's work, it shows that you know something about what the person is doing. Whether you know a little or a lot, it shows you're interested and have something you can add. That in itself is pretty cool.

I just feel like I sort of think and maybe even speak negatively sometimes when criticizing something. Like, I'll tell someone something sounds good and they'll reply with something that makes me feel like they're saying "no, I suck" or "well, it's nothing compared to what you can do" and/or "I'll never be that good."

I guess it depends who's receiving the criticism as well... Some can take it better than others and moreso some can put it to better use?

 

I actually appreciate criticism, sometimes seeing an outsiders perspective can help you solve problems in a better way. It's not even that their way is better, it may or may not be but it often has a lot to do with the fact that their perspective is different than yours (cant see the forest for the trees); seeing things from different perspectives can help. You dont have to take the advice, or you could use the insights to come up with an even better solution that you can still call your own.

But yea, some people think that their way is the only way or the best, which could be true for that person simply because they never give consideration to the fact that other people have good ideas too.

 

Wow. It is not a matter of not being able to take criticism...and I will listen and take into account anything anyone says....and some things are just mean spirited.....
but if we are talking about painting on a canvas.....last thing I need is someone standing over me and telling me how to paint what i have inside of me that wants to be expressed....or am I painting what you feel?
If so, then you paint the picture.....I won't say a word....it is you needing to be expressed in your artwork...and not me.

 

exactly, I dont want hand-holding, but criticism ... sure. Sometimes just suggesting to me to look at a certain place in my own work ai will see things I didnt see before. The thing about criticism is that no matter how good you are at something theres always chance to improve ... so if you can point out those things to me I welcome it as long as it's done respectfully without being bigoted. I just know that I'm not content staying at the same skill level, I want to keep leveling up. I'll never be the best, but even if I was the best at something ... I still wouldnt be content if I was stuck at a plateua.

 

You obviously are not understanding what i am trying to say here.
If you were painting a picture, would you like someone telling you to paint it this way....or that color instead....another person could be telling you something else....as everyone has an opinion....is it your painting or theirs? I am not talking about techniques.
If a someone is painting and they paint a purple tree...i am not going to tell them to make it brown and green instead, in other words...it is their creativity.

 

of course it's your painting. but knowing your end goal I might be able to give you some suggestions to meet your goal. Not because I think that it would be "better" that way, but because you may not have seen it that way or thought of it. You can still do what you want, you've just been exposed to more possibilities, and the perspective others have when they view your work. This doesn't strictly apply to paintings though ... I'm really trying to be as general as possible here. If we were to constrain ourselves to paintings only things may be slightly different but overall I feel this still applies .. generally

 

no hand holding?! not sure I am much into hand holdong anyway....can do it figuratively if i am so inclined, but not so much literally....LOL

I do understand what you mean....however, i paint in a room all by myself with no eyes looking, and finished. you like it...Great! you don't? Oh, well....maybe next painting I do...you will...i paint for myself not for the public.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipADNlW7yBM

 

I think when you're reviewing art it's important to be sensitive to the fact that someone is opening themselves up to share the art with you, or in some cases with everyone as it's on display in a gallery or something. I think you should just be polite, and not burden yourself with being overly honest with the person. Sometimes I find that when I take a second or third look at something it's not even the same thing as I originally thought. Or when I take into consideration the layers and different styles that are incorporated that it's a more impressive work than I initially had imagined. I play guitar and am admittedly very bad, but I hate when people don't like my playing! Lol.

 

I fucking loathe the term "art".

but being able to accommodate critique is essential and you can't shield yourself from it when the valuable qualities of what you have created are inherently subjective. If the value of a piece of work is dependent on how someone perceives it, then to say you don't care about someone's perception is... I guess misguided?

That said you can create "art" purely for your own entertainment, in which case the opinions of others don't really matter.

The trick is to not instantly throw up your defenses at the first sign of criticism and go either "fuck you I don't care about your opinion" or "you're right, everything I've done is terrible, I should stop trying." Both reactions are equally cowardly and unhelpful.

Instead, you need to learn not to instantly either absorb or deflect criticism, but instead be analytical of the analysis:
How much weight should I give this person's opinion?
Are they part of the group that I intended for the work?
Have they correctly identified what my goals were with piece?
If not, does that mean that I have failed in my goal?

and a myriad of other questions, this is a subjective field.

The question should never be "is this person right or wrong about my work?" but rather "What value can I derive from their judgement" Even if you completely disagree with what they've said, there's usually some way you can take something of value away from the experience of having them look at your work.


The only creative outlet I have is writing fiction, and while I wouldn't say that I write purely for other people (I write because I enjoy it) other people's views always shape how I write. Publication is the easiest way for me to judge whether or not I am improving and publication is predicated on demand. I want to write stuff that people would like to read. In order to improve, I need feedback.

When giving feedback though, It is important to remember that constructive criticism does not necessarily mean entirely negative criticism. People need to know what to discard, what to improve and where their strengths lie. The tendency is to focus on the negatives, which is not constructive because it is incomplete.

 

^So who is being painted into a corner of not being able to take critisicm?
Me?
I can take it quite well, thank you, and i deal with it accordingly.....I do the steps you said.


Let me remind you of Vincent Van Gogh, too, where no one liked his paintings when he was alive.....and only one painting of his sold as a favor to his brother.
He just kept painting HIS soul into his canvasses...HIS soul....and when you see his paintings you really see that....

collabaorations are fine....and I do well with collaborations, as well.
I like some art and some not so much, too....so what? It is in the eye of the beholder. that is what art as....it is not....no one likes it so there must be something wrong with it and i won';'t either...or everyone likes something so let me jump on that bandwagon....That is not the artists, though, or the art.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxHnRfhDmrk

 

there's a difference between critiquing "things" and critiquing people. it's nonsense to critique people, because no one is any one thing.
if i ever sound like i'm criticizing anyone as a person, whoever thinks i'm doing so, is totally missing my point.
it is the things people DO, that need to be critically considered, by each of us, before we do so, and in choosing to do so.

that's all really a completely separate thing, from providing useful feedback, on how you perceive the quality of someone's workmanship, in creative expression.