Monday, May 4, 2009

Valuable feedback

If you ever need a reminder of why it's important to tell others when you like what they do, especially creative people, here's a story for you.

A friend of mine is currently participating in a month-long group sculpture exhibit, which consists of approximately 10 installations created on site in a public park, inspired by the natural setting.

Today, she and the other artists in the group received this email message from an observer of the show:

"I am generally a lover of the arts, but I want to give feedback on the ... installation to you and your fellow artists. The reason I walk [through this area] is to see nature, not man-made additions. I really do not like the whole exhibition and can’t wait for it to be removed. Sorry to be so negative, but I was really bothered by the installations when I walked to work today."

This, to me, is a life lesson. Critical people apparently don't hesitate to speak up and make others feel bad. It's important to speak up when you have something GOOD to say, so you can make others feel great.

No comments: