I read the articles "Seven Ways to Crush Self-Doubt in Creative Work" and "A Simple 5-Second Habit to Rewire Your Harshly Self-Critical Brain". I liked that both of the articles came from the perspective of people that are self-critical. I feel like it's hard to provide relatable solutions to a person who is an incredibly harsh self-critic, unless you have are a self-critical person. I liked how in "Seven Ways to Crush Self-Doubt in Creative Work," John Spencer provided a lot of different, but easy to do options that could be practiced alone or paired together. I think it's really nice to have options to start with whatever is easiest for you and then work towards the things that might be more difficult. In "A Simple 5-Second Habit to Rewire Your Harshly Self-Critical Brain", I really, really liked the concept of reality-based self-congratulations (REBs). I thought this was a very attainable way to change your thought process, especially when it comes to slip-ups. I find a lot of times that I tend to think that if I screwed up once, I might as well give up. I like that this thought process allows the slip-up to be part of the learning experience and encourages you to move past it and do better the next time! It is also like you become your own personal cheerleader, and who doesn't want one of those? I think feedback can be a difficult concept to deal with. I know that with voice, especially when it comes to competitions, juries, and even studio class, there is a lot of feedback given. At first, I really didn't like getting that feedback. It can feel very personal, but over time I've learned that the only way to truly get better is through feedback! Now, I get frustrated if I don't get feedback. I can't stand comment sheets that just say "good job". While "good job" is nice to hear, it doesn't do any good if there is no other commentary given. My personal rule for giving feedback follows a 4-step process. Step 1: Give a sincere compliment. Find a specific thing that you thought the person did really well! Step 2: Give a critique. Be direct, but kind. What could this person have done better? Step 3: Give a suggestion as to how they could improve upon the issue addressed in your critique. If you've come across the same issue, you could talk about how you went about making things better! Step 4: Finish up with a re-assuring statement like, "Keep going" or "I look forward to reading more of your writing." I find that this process provides constructive criticism, while still providing positive feedback! Overall, feedback is a touchy subject but, if done right, it can be used to help improve ourselves and the world around us!
Just like these cats, feedback helps me get better at everything I do!
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