Art Critiques: Sometimes it's best to say no

Art critiques are a huge part of being a member of the DeviantArt community. Premium members have the option to use the "request critiques" option on their deviation uploads, and all of us have the ability to simply vocalize our desire for critiques by asking for them in various ways (groups, journals, etc). However, as artists, many of us have strong egos or are sensitive to harsh words. The aim of this article is to explain that it is perfectly okay to decline critiques or not want them in general.

Your Ego:

The fact is, a lot of us have strong egos. If you have a strong ego, when someone criticizes the way you've done something, you're likely to disagree with them and dismiss their critique. If you have a strong ego, a lot of what other people say about your art goes over your head, and you tend to simply ignore it in the end. Overall, you tend to believe the way you did something was perfectly fine, and you might even look down on others who criticize your techniques. Strong egos result in people fighting and being rude to each other over a simple critique. What starts off with person A giving a critique with good intentions, ends up with person B biting their head off, and making person A wonder why they bothered leaving a critique in the first place! So basically, if you can't handle anyone giving you some tips or questioning your techniques without starting a fight with them over it, you might want to hold off on asking for critiques. People with strong egos tend to do better if they ask individual artists that they trust for their personal opinions on their work. A one-on-one critique basis where you select the person giving you a critique is thus usually a more effective approach.

Your feelings:

Many people are too sensitive to handle critiques. If you generally find yourself sad or even depressed after receiving any form of critique on your art, then you might want to reevaluate asking for them. In addition to that, you might want to reconsider your approach to your artistic career (both professional and hobbyist). If you want to make progress, you're going to have to realize that your art isn't perfect, and that the problems you might have are okay. It's okay to not be perfect, so consider not letting critiques get to you as much. But, if the bottom line is that when anyone says anything negative about your art, you feel like you're dying inside, then it's time to say NO thank you to critiques, and figure out a different approach. Perhaps you can try to critique your own art, perhaps you can find a person that you know will give you tips and criticism in a manner that will not hurt your feelings.

Your artistic level:

If you feel that you're at an artistic level that satisfies you, then you might not want to ask for critiques. After all, if you're happy with your art, and you don't plan on doing anything to change it because of that, why ask for critiques? If you're satisfied with the quality of what you create, there is no need to ask others for critiques, unless you plan on actually taking into account what they say. Don't waste people's time, don't ask for something you don't actually want, because you feel that you don't actually need it.