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| Shoup, Lynda Diane. Work in Progress. 2017, Private Collection of the Artist. |
Last week I sent my artist's statement out for feedback. It was a moment of vulnerability for me. I think it is for everyone, at least the first few times they do it. There is so much that goes into our work. I don't know about you, but it certainly worried me whether my statement would reflect that.
I did receive thoughtful and interesting feedback. It was clear that the two people I shared my statement with both took great care in giving the feedback. They both showed that they had given it more than a cursory glance. I am very humbled and grateful.
Once we receive feedback it is hard to know how to process it. My plan is to sit down with my statement, both of the sets of feedback and a red pen. There will be caffeine involved (though I dare say you may think me boring that it will be tea and not coffee.) These two dear people have spent their time thinking about my writing. I will certainly give them the same respect. Why haven't I done it yet? Well, like I said, I plan to give it the level of attention it deserves. Perhaps in the process, I will understand what I am trying to do more fully.
So next Wednesday I plan to post the final post in this series, at least for a while. I will post more about writing about art as there is subject or need, but for my ramblings on this topic seem to be fulfilled. If you read more, please leave me a comment with the topic you would like to read more about. Has this series been interesting or helpful to you? Is there anything else you would like to read about? Want to just say hi? The comments section below is waiting for you.
I've really enjoyed this series, Lynda, and I hope the feedback you received was valuable and well explained. I know what you mean about giving the feedback the same respect the evaluators gave your work. As I've read this, it makes me think that I really need to look back at my own "statements" (for lack of a better word, whether they be mission statements, artist/writer statements or just the way I feel) and do a better job at synthesizing. I hope when you post your statement you share some of the ways it was changed and why that came from your feedback time.
ReplyDeleteWriting about yourself is difficult but trying to describe your art, the process.... well that is the hardest thing for me to accomplish. I struggle with that and am always tweaking as I go along....hmmm....kinda like my art!
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Sandee! It certainly is a process. Explaining ourselves is a skill. One that gets honed just like our process. Glad to hear you keep tweaking. I think that for me this will be a continual process. Can't imagine I'll ever settle down enough to call it finished.
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