I agree. When I teach I do it in a much more supportive way. But I can’t say I regret any of the experiences I had in school. At least when I hear criticism now I can deal with it pretty well.

I had one of those tough art professors who made students cry he was so harsh. He liked to tell us that 90% of us wouldn’t be making art a year after we graduated. And he seemed to enjoy public humiliation during critiques. Yes, I “survived” his critiques and even managed to get useful stuff out of it (and never cried, thank god). But I have to say I got much more out of a less combative experience. One in which I didn’t feel like I was defending my work to the death. Grad school was a lot about defending one’s work, but my program was pretty laid back. I grew more and produced more in those two years when I felt supported yet challenged. I always talk to my students about giving harsh criticism. It is important to be honest and direct. It is also important to set up a safe context in which to give out the harsh criticism.

So I have learned to take what is helpful and leave the rest. Especially after grad school where one prof would say one thing and one would say the complete opposite!

I finished grad school 3 years ago and am still indebted to one prof who made one statement during my thesis review that really hurt at the time. It ended up strongly influencing the current direction in my work. So something may click at some later point down the road. That is pretty phenomenal.

You brought up a great idea. I’ve been wanting to do a critique of criticism, one, and I’ve been wanting to be a little more revealing about my early history in art scene, two.

It’ll take some guts. I may shock people without even trying to be provocative.

Saturday. That’s when it’s going up.

And Birgit?

You have touched on things from post war Germany that have made the hair on the back of my neck raise. One day, I’d love to hear more about how that influenced you.

Karl, your situation reminds me of first time authors, who have a hit. There is a lot of pressure to repeat.

Rex, when is the post going up. You’ve got me hooked.

I won the first price in my home town for a linoleum print of an industrial landscape. After my teacher told me about it, she turned to a colleague and loudly said: Blind hen finds a piece of corn. Perhaps, that was why I went into science.

Post war Germany was a crazy place

Did you ever nail this one. Yes.

Someday I need to tell the story of my first success at a young, young age because it was immediately followed by long blast of drugs and debauchery. It’s a wonder I survived. Most of my friends from that era are dead.

Hmmm…

You’ve just given me the inspiration for my next post.

“It was one of those gloriously bright and sunny Winter’s days in San Francisco. The morning light coming in from the window overlooking the bay fell full upon Thomas in the bed, dead from an overdose of heroin and cocaine.

“Looking at him, for the first time in a several years, I felt like drawing.

“I did not even feel guilty about that.”

Was it too much praise too soon? Or was it not enough, early enough, so I could learn to handle it?

Talk about crazy artists? Heh. I have some experiences to share.

Thanks Bob. What an eye opener. Your post hit me like a blast of cold water. I needed that.