Week 44: Three of Mentors - The Critics Role

As artists we create what we are called to and that process at times calls us to tweak or sometime majorly rework a poem. We've all become used to this on one level or another.

We also from time to time seek honest criticism of  something we've written. That criticism is important to each writer but it can sometimes be difficult to accept. It can be a delicate matter for newer writers but with time even seasoned poets and writers find such criticism difficult to keep in perspective.

The Three of Mentors is mindful of both the need for honest feedback on work, be it in workshop or an individual critique.
It's important for us to discern the nature of the comments offered about a particular piece of work. A sincere person making suggestions is offering an opinion about your art and while it may not always be the the changes you want to make you owe it to yourself and the process to consider such advise.  The difficult part is to determine what value to assess the suggestions. The Tree of Mentors reminds me to be of open or receptive mind.

It's okay to consider the spirit in which the suggestions are made. Probably more often than not the spirit in which it is made is indeed offered as constructive criticism. Occasionally there may be other motives that are less honest in intent. Learn to discern who and what you can trust. Always fall back on your own intuitive judgment - it may mean accepting changes suggested, modifying suggestions or changing nothing at all. Remember, the critic is there to help you and not bring you down.