All about Perspective

Everybody has made something that they just didn't like.  Maybe it was a meal, maybe it was an assignment, or maybe it was a project.  As an art teacher one of the most famous questions I get asked everyday is "How does this look?"    That is the hardest question to answer.

 First off, if I say "yeah, that looks great" they usually don't believe me and try to tell me that it is my job to say it is fine.  If I say "well, it could use some work"  then they think it is junk and will sometimes throw a fit and either start over or just turn it in as they mumble, saying "whatever I give up."  Criticism is always hard to hear, and there are times I don't want to hear it either.  Especially when no one in my family wants to give any suggestions for supper, but they all want to add in their two cents as to what I made.

But my point is, while we see the issues with what we make, someone might just think it is beautiful.  The following picture is a case in point.

Shayla

The student who made this did not even want to turn it into me.  She said it was awful.  (Ok I am paraphrasing, because her word choice was not as elegant.)  As an art teacher I can see faults with it, but when I first saw it I fell in love with her color choice and the overall softness of the piece.  Is it perfect, probably not, but my perspective of it is different than hers.  She can only look at it and see the struggles, and the areas where the paint wouldn't do what she wanted it to do.  Which is perfectly fine to see your faults,  at least she will hopefully learn from them and make the necessary changes for next time.  I only hope she does not get discouraged and give up before next time happens.

I hope the lesson I learned from this is that when I am told something looks good I forget the faults and the problems and say Thank You.