Receiving Feedback as an Artist

We must master how we receive feedback as artists. 

Aye, it’s tricky. It’s humbling. It’s frustrating. It’s a bummer. It’s ALSO fun and helpful and can lead to extraordinary growth.

As a filmmaker, a difficult moment in my creation process is when I show my first edit to anyone. I will have been in my little creation bubble for a period of time, and then suddenly I have to share it with folks to see if it even makes sense—and that is painful. BUT, it is also affirming and enlightening.

I MAY DESTROY YOU (2020) via Shotdeck

It’s so useful to learn what others get out of our art.

Sometimes, we make creative choices that we assume should be obvious to others. And yet, it ends up vague or confusing to them. The vulnerability of putting our artistic arses on the line is really challenging, but it’s an essential risk to take in order to grow and make exceptional art.

Feedback often comes unsolicited, which makes it extra hard to hear. Wait, I didn’t want to hear that! Those are the moments when it’s helpful to listen with a bit of self-protection, actually. Listen objectively. Listen to why they are saying what they are saying, versus how they are saying it or what they are even saying at all! Listen cautiously, and react cautiously.

On the other side of feedback can be valuable insight, IF we can hear it.

A daring thing that artists can do is actually to put out their art into the world and track the feedback.

Feedback might strengthen your resolve!

Or it might even guide you towards more art that you want to create.

Or, it might help you hone your vision and choices so that you are really telling the story that you want to tell with your art.

THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION (2020) via Shotdeck

Look back at your self-tape auditions. Or, film some sides and create your own tape. Identify what is clear and what is not. Is the story clear? Is your art conveying what you want to convey?

And, if you are bold enough, show it to someone. Show a recent audition scene to a friend (even a non-performer person!) and listen to their first reactions. What grabs them? What is unclear? What makes them laugh, or not laugh? How are they moved by it? Just share it and simply observe their response.

• Share a clip on social media.
• Share a clip with a family member.
• Review old auditions from ages ago.
• Make a new clip and share it.

Putting ourselves out there as artists is a brave action! We can never control the feedback that we get, but we can always control how we receive it.

Let’s keep creating, fearlessly!
x,Heidi