Author: James Chiang

“I suspect that most authors don’t really want criticism, not even constructive criticism. They want straight-out, unabashed, unashamed, fulsome, informed, naked praise, arriving by the shipload every fifteen minutes or so.” ― Neil Gaiman, Writer

Feedback is important. It’s what we want. It’s what we need.

The WHY:

Why do we want or need feedback? Because it helps give us direction. Which way to head towards is important — more or less? bigger or smaller? faster or slower? It forces us to confront choices. Feedback also supplies us with the kind of necessary objectivity towards our art, as it’s near impossible to be the sole judge of our work after much time has been spent being challenged by it. Seeing truthfully is so important and having other (healthy) eyes look helps. Finally, it gives us an update on the status quo, identifying the stage that has been reached and the problems that need addressing. Feedback re-aligns us when we’re off track and keeps us moving forward. We don’t stand still or go backwards when doing art.

If I’m gonna fall, I’m gonna fall forward. At least that way I can see what’s gonna hit me.” — Denzel Washington, Actor.

The WHAT:

The kind of feedback also matters. Feedback should always be as specific as possible, both when it’s received and when it’s given. The lack of clarity is the number one reason for inefficiency and emotional conflict. If it’s not clear, ask again. Better to look stupid now than later. Also, beware of “casual” feedback that’s laced with insincere praise — it’s useless and even misleading.

“Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.”
— Buddha

The HOW:

What’s usually forgotten when it comes to feedback is how to receive it. We’re all human. Being emotionally committed to our craft naturally puts us in a position to be hurt by comments or suggestions, especially when expectations from either parties are not in harmony. Sometimes, comments can be delivered in highly inappropriate ways — that makes it very tough. But remember this: we’re not here to judge the critic — we need feedback to move on. It’s definitely best when it’s constructive rather than negative, but whatever form it takes it must NOT deter us from the work process. Emotions must be kept at bay. Sometimes, even the nasty kind of feedback can push us forward because our enemies are especially adept at finding our faults. And, when we’re finally skilled enough and ready to break new ground, critics will provide just the right kind of motivation to prove ourselves right.

“Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, Philosopher

The WHO:

What’s most essential to feedback often depends much on where it comes from. If it comes from the client or director (i.e. you’re not the boss) then that’s easy; it’s their product and as paid craftsmen, we’re here to service that demand. If the client wants bright pink walls, we give him bright pink walls. And we do our professional best even if the order keeps changing. Unless we have an exceptional personal relationship with our bosses, we mustn’t question the direction or voice our displeasure.

It’s feedback from other crucial parties that brings complication. If there’s too many cooks in the kitchen — such as having three different supervisors giving conflicting information, then there’s trouble. Always go with what “the boss” at the top of the food chain has specified, get it from the horse’s mouth if possible or ask with respect whose opinion must be served should access to higher powers not be available. Always know the priority and hierarchy of the chain of command. Try to think and see like the boss.

Other complications arise when feedback comes from friends or colleagues. If we find a trusted and proven eye, take the advice. Otherwise know that co-workers aren’t always reliable due to a variety of possible reasons: a lack of superior skill, conflicting interest (i.e. competition) or a perspective without context (i.e. they don’t fully understand the purpose/theme of the work). Sometimes, they can even be too close to the project themselves and have also lost objectivity. Be selective which colleagues to get opinions from. Work closely with them — for continuity and such — but always beware that everyone has their own biases and that self-interest is almost always involved, even if isn’t necessarily malevolent.

If opinions and advice can be obtained from a true teacher or mentor, that’s always best. They’re vested in and personally responsible for our growth and as long as they don’t perceive a threat, they are generally the most reliable when it comes to giving honest professional advice that comes from highly skilled and experienced eyes. These days, however, true mentors are very difficult to find in industry (during work hours) but that doesn’t make them any less essential for any kind of real growth towards mastery. The best, most helpful mentors are those who have both deep and broad levels of experience, who are often skilled at a variety of crafts. They give the kind of rich, realistic feedback and necessary “tough love” often missing in the lives of young artists today.

“You do not choose apprenticeships that seem easy and comfortable.” — Robert Greene, Mastery

“He was a master animator, a virtuoso… Ken Harris did it all.” — Chuck Jones, Director/Animator

Summary:

Once feedback has been received, we move onwards. Whether we find it useful or not, we’ve gone through the process. Again, that’s what matters most. Doing the right thing always liberates us.

“I have already settled it for myself, so flattery and criticism go down the same drain and I am quite free.” — Georgia O’Keeffe, Artist

“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” — Carl Jung, Psychologist

To live authentically is not easy. From the day we’re born till the day we die, we’re taught either explicitly or implicitly to follow rules — rules that are not our own. Of course, there are logical reasons for this; a young child knows not the game of survival nor the rules of engagement with the world around him. But we all know that our families, our governments and society in general are always demanding that we obey. But expectations breed both fear and greed, the twin desires that lead us to conflict. Thus it’s almost unreasonably difficult to find our true selves and ultimately, our destiny.

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” — Mark Twain, Writer

This is why we must write our own rules (visit my 10 Rules for Creative Living) and then adjust them as we develop greater understanding. To embark on this journey takes the trio of discipline, perseverance, and patience because the path to discover ourselves is the most difficult thing we can do. It also happens to be the most rewarding.

“I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my heart. I am. I am. I am.” — Silvia Plath, Poet.

There’s no easy answer or quick fix that can be found either here or elsewhere, but there are things to avoid. In my experience, there are a few caveats to beware of in a global society that is quickly growing more capitalistic and technological. To me, they are the greatest dangers to honest and authentic living and represent probably the most hostile yet most insidious obstacles to creativity. They are as follows:

1. Comfort
2. Convenience
3. Conformity

Challenging Comfort:

Clearly, we’re not talking about avoiding that chair that eases our back pain. Rather, we’re concerned about choices that side with familiarity and easy decision-making, the kind unopposed by fear and emotional discomfort. When we’re not challenged, we slide from control to complacency. We also begin to lose our ability to deal with distraction. Any and all kinds of information soon becomes hard to absorb or understand. Once susceptible to noise, both internal and external, we lose our ability to focus and pay real conscious attention to things. Our intended path begins to develop forks in the road, each one possibly leading us astray. This is highly erosive for the creative mind. Unable to deal with discomfort — which always come with the hardship of learning something new — we fall prey to chaos or those who profit from our attention. It’s not surprising that everywhere we go we see people preoccupied with devices or entertainment, incapable of dealing with quiet or solitude, unable to bear their own thoughts. This, our course, leads to inner emptiness, as we reformulate a mind no longer our own. For craftsmen, the danger lies in using formulas and tricks we know work — the dirty way out that stops us from growing and from reaching flow or optimal experience. Whether we give into distraction or escape from challenge, the descend towards psychic entropy begins. Take either route and we can pretty much forget about the concept of excellence because we’ll never develop the skill or mental fortitude to persevere through difficulty.

“For all things excellent are as difficult as they are rare.” — Baruch Spinoza, Philosopher

Confronting Convenience:

They say it’s always wise to be wary of that which has been presented to us on a silver platter. Those who want us to behave in the way they want always make it easy for us to do their bidding for them. Fast foods/services, cheap prices, and automation make it all too easy to abide. Shiny on the outside but empty on the inside, they prey on our laziness knowing we’re conditioned to immediacy. It may seem logical to save energy, time or money but the cheap and easy always comes with hidden costs. Corporations that require massive marketing/advertising campaigns to sell their goods and services work hard to give it all to us with easy access and low prices, so that we don’t bother to question the compromise in quality or whether the employees have been exploited or that the environment has been inadvertently harmed. How else can such monstrous profits be achieved with such poor products? Products which, if we were not familiar with the branding, we would never otherwise buy. Instead of going with the conveniences provided for us, we must instead try to see the big picture or at least make it more conducive to do the right things — things that enrich us and not merely provide us with short-term gratification. The very definition of the artist is one that makes the unusual choice, taking instead the original path KNOWING that it inconveniences him. The creative individual both strives for excellence within himself and in things he comes into contact with. He values quality over quantity, and real value over convenience.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” — Martin Luther King, Jr., Minister & Activist

Countering Conformity:

It’s natural to conform. It’s biological and historically sensical to not abandon the tribe that protects us. But we no longer live in the tribal age confronted with the daily fear of hunger or death. Instead, our active desire to belong is purely social, to help us deal with the hardship of being alone. Unfortunately, this social need, when it’s obsessive easily becomes an impediment to true self-actualization. How can we be ourselves if we have to be like others? Searching from within is the only way to find our real talents, our real untainted desires that flow from both our spirit and our biology. This means dealing with solitude and sorting through the chaos of our own minds. Again, this is harder now than we can imagine. We have to dig out and dig thru the noise to find ourselves. And, in our day and age of increasing automation, we’re so used to following the trend that we don’t even choose for ourselves. We’ve outsourced not only our labour but our thinking. For instance, note how difficult it is to read or concentrate on something that is long, slow or hard to immediately understand. Soon, we might outsource most of our day-to-day decision-making. We already do so with simple things like buying books or choosing restaurants, consulting online the opinions of others instead of trusting or experiencing for ourselves actual reality. We have to be wary of what’s presented to us so alluringly. Sometimes, this even means avoiding the advice of friends or family. The company we keep matters. To do the right thing we need to derive our choices from within.

I work inside out, like nature.” — Jackson Pollock, Artist

In summary, all that can be said that matters is that we must work very hard to confront the forces that detour us from becoming our true selves. Only then, is there hope that we can live an honest, creative and original life. And what if we fail? So what. We mustn’t be scared of being true or of failing to become so.

“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” — Samuel Beckett, Writer.

“I would rather be dead than afraid.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.