From a Student’s Perspective: Five Steps to Make the Most Out of Creative Work Feedback

Alejandra Nicely, a sophomore in the Illustration program at Otis College, offers advice on receiving feedback on creative work.

After receiving a critique on your art, you might be upset, confused, and have no idea what to make of it. Don’t worry. In this article, I’ll go over five simple steps to make the most of feedback on your creative work.

#1 Don’t Take It Personally

I understand that the immediate response when someone critiques your art is to get defensive. It can feel like you’re being attacked or the critiquer doesn't like you personally, but it's important to note that this is typically not the case. In classes or during portfolio reviews, your critics generally will have your best interest in mind. As it’s supposed to be a place of growth, critiques of your creative work are just that. No one has it out for you personally, though if you suspect bias, it is important to talk it over with your teacher or the person in charge.

Although it’s easier said than done, it’s important to detach yourself from your work. You exist outside this specific creation. And while it may sting to hear criticism of something you worked so hard on, ultimately, everyone just wants you to grow.

#2 Find a Common Thread

In cases of group critiques or multiple reviewers looking over your work, it can get hard to distinguish what comments are usable feedback and which are derived from one reviewers’ specific taste. In these instances, it’s helpful to pinpoint recurring comments. If something stands out to multiple people, it is likely a core issue and improvement of this issue may take your art to the next level. 

Recurring comments will most likely be focused around anatomy and perspective before advancing towards overall composition and color schemes. It’s important to remember and practice the fundamentals. Continued improvement will aid in learning more advanced techniques, which in turn will aid in getting more specific and actionable feedback.

#3 Take It as a Suggestion, Not Gospel

A common reaction to getting criticism is to become excited about implementing all of it into the work or feeling terrible that reviewers found something off in the first place. Reviewers have different backgrounds, styles, and interests, and what might appeal to some, might be an artistic crime to others. Isolate the critiques that you feel best align with your vision for your art. Analyze them critically and try to sort aesthetic differences from genuine constructive criticism.

#4 Take It Step by Step

Improvement doesn’t happen overnight and trying to rush it risks artistic burnout and stagnation. After your critique, focus on the things you can improve in a day: changing the color or placement of an object; in a week: fixing rendering and adjusting the composition; in a month: developing skills like color theory and line weight; and even in a year: learning new programs and mediums like Blender or oil pastels. 

It is important to take your time and be kind to yourself. Rome wasn’t built in a day and you can’t become Picasso after one critique. Take time to draw for yourself or indulge in other hobbies that you love, including practicing skills that are transferable like the 3D spatial understanding you gain from pottery and sculpting, which can help with the lighting in your painting.

#5 Consider Where Your Art Could Go Next

After a critique, it’s important to refocus and recenter yourself. When attempting to digest and implement the changes suggested, take a second to consider where you want your art to go. Is there a specific style you’d like to emulate? A type of art you’d like to make? I’d recommend focusing on those goals to help direct any specific questions you have during a critique. Remember: always be open to trying new things. You never know what life—or a constructive critique—may bring.

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