Click to Download
In today’s episode I talk about constructive criticism or “critique”.  There’s a proper way to judge any art or craft to the artist themsleves.  As professionals we want to keep our industry as shiny and respected as possible.  One way we do that is by critiquing the work of the apprentices in our industry, and when asked, each other.

Proverbs 27:17 says “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” That one verse describes the purpose of critique. We should learn to see our work from different perspectives in order to gain insight on any imperfections or perceived weaknesses in the work weather in composition of art, or a spot of putty that didn’t get sanded properly. We should approach the instruction we give with humility and the advice we receive from our peers and professional friends with a sense of gratitude and appreciation.

When we scrutinize our own work, it’s best to try and disassociate ourselves from it first. Walk away, set your mind on another subject or activity and upon returning, your eyes and mind will be fresh, and the voices of those peers and pros will come back to you, helping you see things in a more objective light.

The images below demonstrate how, after leaving this piece for a day, I was able to see my eagle head was too square. I wasn’t going to leave it like that. If I had been in a rush or burned out at days end, I might have overlooked this and sent it off. Understandably there’s no such thing as perfection. We can only strive for excellence and to please our customers so we can gets paid!

Learning to see how professionals view our work is vital. It’s the fastest most effective way to learn how to view your own work with a critical eye.