.costuming.

Every once in awhile as a performer you realize that you've gotten yourself down to one costume you love that you wear all the time.
And that's just...not so good.

So I've been sewing furiously for the last few weeks, trying to put together some new digs. It's slow, and painful, but so far everything is turning out quite nicely...

.critique.part.3.

So the question remains - how do you give a good critique?

For me, the first thing to constantly remind yourself of is "It's not about you."
Giving a critique is not about your personal opinions - it about identifying strengths and weaknesses and communicating them to the artist in a constructive manner so that they can improve what they're doing. Giving a critique is not about making you sound like a SmartyPants.

A critique is really about observation and analysis - and giving helpful suggestions.
"I think this is horrible" is not a critique.
"I think this could be improved if you changed/adjusted _________," is a good place to start.

Asking questions is also helpful - what mood was the artist trying to portray, what inspired them, where did the idea for the Thing come from? All of this information will effect the information you then relate back. If a dancer (for example) was dancing a piece in a rainbow costume, and you later found out that they were trying to express grief - this might be something to make a suggestion about if a suggest is wanted*, or ask a question about - Why did you choose a rainbow costume to express grief? It might be that rainbows hold significance for them in reference to the particular grief they're drawing inspiration from - or it could be that they weren't really thinking about costuming at all when they picked what to wear. If the later, a response might be "I think your inspiration would come across better if you wore more traditionally mournful colors." If the former, you might just suggest that they provide some more background about the performance.

Art is tricky in that it is highly personal. As artists, we don't always want to explain all the bits of our process; however to a certain degree we have to if we want our audience to get a message or take a story from what we're doing. This is where critique becomes particularly valuable - in helping us to recognize how the story is not coming across clearly - if a way that you can't when something is so close to the heart. And this is why it is important to phrase things carefully - if a person feels attacked they will not listen, and art is what suffers for it.

If you'd like to practice at home, here's a drinking game I just made up:
Gather a few friends, and everyone bring a dance video or an art piece (or whatever - these are just my mediums and what my brain thinks of first). These should be friends who do what you do - other dancers, other visual artists - otherwise anything they have to say is beyond useless. Take turns presenting your thing - give some background before you show it. Explain some context.
Show the thing.
If someone says something that is not actually helpful (i.e. "I hate this song.") - they drink.
If the artist tries to argue from an emotional place (i.e. "You just don't understand what I'm doing!" end statement without actual additional information) - they drink.
If someone just loves the Thing as is and has no insight to offer - they drink.
And don't forget to drink lots of water and take an aspirin before bed.

* As a rule, I do not give a critique unless someone has asked me for one point blank. Most people aren't looking from that - particularly from someone other than a close friend or colleague. Every once in a while, if I see something that would have a huge effect on a presentation, I'll ask the person if I can give a suggestion. This is important.
Unfortunately, the internet makes it really easy for me to break my own rule. But I try really hard not to tread where treading isn't wanted.

.boycott.Tuesday.

 

I've been following the Pothole Gardener for awhile now, and have been in love with what he does from the first time I saw it. For me, love results in emulation, at least for awhile; so pothole gardening has been on my to-do list ever since.

Of course, the first this you need if you're going to garden a pothole is a pothole to garden in.

Which is exactly the homework I didn't do before buying plants for this project.

So I discovered that finding your pothole first is important not only so you know where you're working, but also so you know how much "stuff" to bring.

Despite Kansas City Missouri being riddled* with potholes, it took about an hour of searching to find one that might work. And truthfully, it was less of a pothole and more of a missing piece of concrete the curb where the grass meets the road. But still - it was a place.

Naturally I didn't bring nearly enough stuff.

 

before

 

After!

 

 

 But it's still awfully cute. And I'll be curious to see how long it lasts - will someone run over it, will torrential rains wash it away, or might someone else add to it?

That would be super awesome (and also super unlikely).

Happy Tuesday!!!

*seriously riddled - they're everywhere. The roads are like Swiss Cheese, and the City's longstanding solution to the problem is to plop a steel plate over it, which is hell on tires.

.Sketchbook.Monday.

ink, color pencil, collage, tape

.dalek.warning.

I'm sewing today - making and repairing costuming (as soon as I find where I stashed my scissors), but this made me so happy I had to share:

 

Boulder, CO

I made a Poster!

Recently I offered to help a friend in a pinch with a poster she needed designed for a Sci-Fi Writers Convention Thing...because Sci-Fi writers are Awesome!
Usually...

I think it turned out pretty good:

Information about the Campbell Conference is here!

.critique.part.2.

Previously (last week) I wrote a long ramble about the importance of critique and how the word "art" was not an excuse for inflicting bullshit upon the masses.
That's not how I worded it, but that's basically the gist if you missed it

I could probably go on about that second bit ad nauseum, but I want to get back to the critique part.
Specifically the "Taking Critique" part. (I'll hit up the "giving critique" half soonish).

What I'd previously written was:

In order to successfully receive a critique, you have to listen.
Actually listen. Open your ears and hear what people are saying about what you did.
Take it in, soak it up, and utilize the information.


Also, don't ask for a critique if you don't actually want to hear one.
A critique is not the place for gratuitous back patting - that's what your mother is for.

Now, first of all, a Critique is not a Review. The two are inherently different. A critique is a response to a work, usually by a friend, mentor, colleague, or peer with the express purpose of helping you to improve your work in the future. A review is a judgement, favorable or not, without helpful insight.

So let's expand upon that just briefly, under the assumption that the person you're talking to is actually trying to help you.

Taking a critique means listening.

Yes, I said that already.

It also means responding and defending, but how you phrase that response and defense will immediately let the person you're talking to know what you really felt about their opinion.  Coming out with "You're wrong, and here's why..." tells the person you're talking to that you consider their opinion to be Invalid. (Also, how you phrase that opinion is equally important, but we'll hit that up later).
And no opinion is Invalid.
It's an opinion, not a fact.
It belongs to a single person. It is theirs. Telling a person their opinion is Invalid is like telling Amy Pond she's not a Ginger.  And phrasing (especially on the internet where context and tone disappear) is everything.

Just for the record, Amy Pond is a fictional character portrayed by Karen Gillan 

in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. 

If someone says something about a Thing you made that you don't like or disagree with, it's much more constructive to the Conversation to say something along the lines of "I disagree, and here's why..."

"You're wrong" is confrontational, and it's not going to further the conversation towards your ultimate goal of making your work better!
"I disagree" tells the person you're talking to that you actually heard what they said, but have a counter argument, or perhaps a bit of information about the Thing you made that you neglected to share before. And a critique is all about having a Conversation, not an Fight; a conversation about a Thing, not about the person who made the Thing. Furthermore, it's perfectly valid to question a person about their opinion, and letting them elucidate on that might help you to understand their point of view.

And of course, there are always the overly talkative people who are not helping you with their opinions and thoughts - because it amuses them to tear you down in an nonconstructive manner, or because they don't actually know what they are talking about (or because they're giving you a review). And there's a fine line between critique and criticism, and sometimes it's very hard to distinguish the difference between the two.


I suppose my point is: When we communicate in absolutes, we're not really communicating. It's hard to have a conversation with someone who won't listen to and consider an outside opinion. Naturally this flies both ways - both parties need to accept the Fact that the other person has an opinion and that the opinion is Valid; perhaps not kind, or constructive, or even relevant - but still Valid. Sometimes it's worth the time to take a step back and consider the situation, the conversation, motivation, and actual message.

For further reading from people who are better writers than me:
Advice on handling criticism...
Advice on not holding grudges...
What is Constructive Criticism?

.boycott.tuesday.

 14 4x4" ink drawings, with "To Brighten Your Day" inscribed on the back.

 Then I "tagged" my neighborhood!

Happy Tuesday!

.sketchbook.Monday.

ink, collage, color pencil

.art.exchange.

If you remember at all, back in March I signed up for Art House Co-op's 4x6 Exchange 2 - make a piece of art that's 4"x6" (not three dimensional at all), mail it in with a self addressed stamped envelope, and sooner or later you get a piece art back from someone else.

To reprise a bit more, here's the piece I sent in:

Last week, I got a piece of art back!

"Penumbra 1"

by Christine Rosa

I love the colors and textures, as well as the tactile feel of it.
And I'm so excited for Art House's next art exchange project!

.boycott.tuesday.

 

Brought to you by Seed Bombs!!!

I'd have taken a picture - but seed bombs sitting on dirt is fairly boring, and my fiance stole my SD card anyhow...

.Sketchbook.Monday.

Todays post brought to you by Netiquette - 

because sometimes putting in a pair of earplugs is the best response.

art is not an excuse

The one thing I came out of art school with that has been invaluable above anything else I learned there was the ability to not only give but receive a critique. It's a skill that I really wish was part of the general educational system - the ability to take a thing you made, put it up in front of a group of your peers, and take their opinions on the thing gracefully, and without taking it personally.

You are not your work. You created it, it came from you - and that's where the realtionship ends.

In order to successfully give a critique, it's important to list the good with the bad, and not be overtly hostile about it. "I really like your use of color but your message would come across better if you worked on realistic anatomy more." "You're dancing is really expressive, but your arms are a little sloppy and working on that would really clean up your presentation."
What's good, what could use work, why it needs work, and how it would help.

In order to successfully receive a critique, you have to listen.
Actually listen. Open your ears and hear what people are saying about what you did.
Take it in, soak it up, and utilize the information.

Also, don't ask for a critique if you don't actually want to hear one.
A critique is not the place for gratuitous back patting - that's what your mother is for.

There is a general (and correct) assumption that if you ask for feedback it is because you want to improve what you're doing in some way. With the exception of internet trolls (hello trolls!) most people are going to give you honest and useful feedback. Throwing that feedback back at them and refuting it as wrong because of X, Y and Z is not only insulting (you did ask for feedback after all) but does a disservice to you and your entire art community. And it makes you look like a whiny brat. "This Is Art" is not an excuse. It's not a defense. Every artist everywhere has to defend their work - has to explain the reasons behind color choice, composition, and concept; and not everyone is going to agree with your decisions. It doesn't mean your decisions are wrong, but neither does it make them correct - and it's worth listening to and contemplating to get a outside perspective so that you can make your art communicate better.
"But I don't make my art for an audience, I make it for myself."
Then why did you put it in public in the first place?

It's a hard lesson, and a hard threshold to cross for a developing artist - finding a balance between what you want to do, and what an audience wants to consume. If you truly don't care about an audiences opinion, that's perfectly fine - but you can't go and expect people to fawn over your creation just because you call it art - as a dancer you can't expect to get hired to perform if people don't actually enjoy watching you dance on some level; as a fine artist you can't expect to get a gallery show if no one is going to want to buy your work.

Art is in the eye of the beholder.

And critique is actually pretty easy. Practice with your friends. Turn it into a drinking game if you must but learn how to do it and receive it professionally. Someone not liking your work is not a reflection on you or your personality or your validity as a person or as an artist. It simply means they don't like that one thing you made; and they are under no obligation to like it.
And I'm not advocating pandering to the mass market either.

Just don't be a brat about it.

.raqs.bohéme.

Only a week away...

Perhaps, this time 'round, I'll actually remember to take pictures...

.boycott.tuesday.

This is the Thai-tini from Lulu's, awesome local to Kansas City glutard-friendly Thai restaurant.
They also carry Glacé ice cream.

And seriously, if you haven't had Glacé ice cream....something is wrong with your brain.

.about.icing.

I've been obsessing a lot over costuming lately.
Mostly trying to go through and re-home costumes I don't wear or don't fit anymore; meanwhile ruminating on what I'm going to replace them with.

In my classes I go on a lot about cake -vs- icing. Cake being your actual dancing, while icing is your flair: your costume, jewelry, makeup, etc. To me, the dancing is supreme; after all, that's what you're doing. Everything else is just what your wearing. But that doesn't mean that costuming isn't really really important.
Costuming is extremely important, as it's your first communication with your audience before anything else even happens. It's sets the mood, the tone; and in a way it sets the audiences expectations. We see a magnificent costume, we're going to expect magnificent dancing. We see a mediocre costume and well...you get the picture.
On the one hand this can work to your advantage - spend more time on your dancing than your costuming, and you're probably going to wow them. Ont he other hand, we are a simple species that is attracted by shiny objects. Put two relatively comparable dancers side by side, one in a simple costume and one decked out to the nines, and the decked out dancer is going to grab the attention.

Back to cupcakes.
Two pictures below, one of a tasty looking but undecorated cupcake. The other with icing and strawberries. Given a choice (and an assumption that noone has diabetes), most people would reach for the icing cupcake first.

 

Same cupcake, extra stuff.

So something to keep in mind while your preparing your performance - is your icing adequate to your cakey awesomeness? And if it's not, what are you going to do to fix it?

Meanwhile, here's another beautiful cupcake of the gluten-free persuasion, as it's Celiac Awareness month and I do love my cupcakes.

 

Recipe of awesomeness here!

.Asparagus After Midnight.

Available for purchase on Society6!

.sketchbook.end.

.boycott.tuesday.

Oh Tuesday Boycott, how have I missed thee....

Missed once because my taxes were due, and too overwhelmed last week to post what I did.
Hopefully today's boycott video will make up for it.