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       At some point, maybe a few decades ago, I decided the potential for publicly making a boo-boo is probably less harmful to the creative process than being hyper-focused on what others might think. There was a time I wouldn't have even considered putting out artwork without first getting someone's opinion, and yet today almost nobody sees my paintings until I drop them off at a gallery or post them on my website. For better or worse, they are my creations and if I'm pleased with the results it feels important to stand by that. It's not that I don't stop and question all the way through the painting process but too much second-guessing or too many voices chiming in can certainly spoil a promising start.

      The advice to place such an emphasis on one's own judgement probably sounds contradictory coming from somebody who has done as much teaching as I have, but to me, to believe otherwise would reflect a misguided notion of what teaching is all about. It was my good fortune to have found instructors who understood the goal for me as a student was not to memorize a bunch of rules and techniques but rather to learn how to teach myself.  That was the only real path to finding the answers I needed if I had hopes of doing anything original. At the time I would have been happy to just be told how to imitate what my teachers were able to do with paint but in the long run, a focus on that alone would have been a disservice to both me and them. As painful as it was, questioning and a willingness to make mistakes was an essential part of the process of learning to paint in my own voice. I'm grateful to have stumbled across instructors who had a clear understanding of this and who were patient with my growing pains. 

      Overall, artists are nice and sensitive people but the business can be pretty competitive and egos do get in the way, so over the years I've just learned to be cautious about who I solicit feedback from. I'm also reluctant about giving feedback aside from classroom situations where that's clearly what people have signed up for. Gallery owners, collectors, family, friends, neighbors and even random strangers can be very free with advice on what other people are creating. Cats probably have an opinion too, but mercifully they keep it to themselves. With my own work I typically place more value on input from non-artists because they're less focused on technique or whatever and seem better able to spot errors like unplanned figures, faces or animals. However, in my effort to get into the kind of 'zone' where I do my best and most focused work, painting by committee just has never been a good fit for me. Accordingly, commission aren't something I do either. A lot of artists thrive on feedback and commissions though, so my intention isn't to discourage someone from what's working for them but merely to point out that everybody is different and that's OK. This is more about giving a word of support to those who sometimes feel out of the loop and assure them they're not as alone as they might assume. In reading about some of my favorite painters throughout history, I've noticed there's there's really no shortage of those who were blessed with a quirky independent streak , so I can't think this is a totally bad thing. 

    In conclusion I would just say that feedback can go either way, depending on the artist and how it affects them or the motivations of the person who is offering their opinion. There are times I've suggested to people that they go get their own set of paints and follow the advice they're so certain about on their own painting. Other times I've been grateful I checked with somebody who had a fresh eye and could see something I hadn't spotted. Either way, it's important to acknowledge that pleasing everyone isn't an option and that any creative efforts , no matter how carefully vetted, will involve missteps. In the midst of all the noise out there, it's not always easy finding the right balance, but checking in with my state of mind and whatever it is that keeps me painting has given me the perspective to, above all else, listen to and follow my own path.

"Many things that come into the world are not looked into. The individual says 'My crowd doesn't run that way.'

I say, don't run with crowds."  --- Robert Henri  The Art Spirit

"It's time you realized that you have something in you more powerful and miraculous than the things that affect you and make you dance like a puppet."  -- Marcus Aurelius