receiving criticism

After a few minutes, working together on reading and responding to some poems, our writers' group exploded into laughter at a humerous gem-like haiku. A new member remarked about how much more fun it is to "Edit in a group." She's right! So many working on the same piece can come up with a variety of approaches. Many times we solve problems on the spot with grammar checks, reversing the order of lines, or suggesting a better word coide. But the fun comes from seeing a polished piece emerge. The poet or writer is ultimatley the one to deicde which suggestions to take, but we all have the fun of playing with the words. I feel that I learn something every time we meet and I hope my work shows the growth I feel. I am often struck by how similar the process of critque is for visual artists as well. For both writers and painters putting your stuff out there for others to see is pretty scary at first,so it always takes courage. Gradually, with safe people, we learn to make distinctions between ourselves and our works. Then we have the distance we need to make changes to the work without feeling personally rejected. Once in awhile a student artist or writer is not able to receive the feedback. The result is that an artist has to work twice as hard to learn and grow independent of that feedback. Of course, there are people whose criticism is way too personal and too hard to bear. This kind of critique destroys the heart of the artist; takes away their joy; leads to dispair or to dryness. The right kind of encouragement and feedback concentrates on what is good, or excellent; and speaks to what can be done to reach that standard, or that points to a good model for the student to emmulate. "Whatever is true, nobel, right, pure, lovely, admirable,.." Ultimately, having a teachable spirit, accepting input humbly, allows us to grow as artists and as people...stretching our souls. Strange how hard it is to have that learning spirit. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the very nature of God,... humbled Himself.." Philippians 2: 5-8