Slight improvements? Or exprovements? Either way, I’m still fiddling and posting the Ziz as it develops.
I’ve only just learned that if you post a work in progress, everyone wants to tell you how to change it. Not once did I request advice, but advice is clearly what I’ll get if I post unfinished work (or finished work, come to think of it). I’m free to ignore any or all of it; everyone on the interwebs is just talking, they don’t have any power over me unless I give it to them. I can “take what I like and leave the rest” – and sometimes someone offers something useful. (Of course praise is always useful! It’s like water and sunshine to a plant.) Instead of criticizing the critics, which was my initial impulse, I’m remembering that it’s my choice to post these W-I-P’s, and my choice to accept or ignore people’s “helpful suggestions”, and that I’m actually in control here.
If I can learn to do that here, I’ll be better at living with criticism elsewhere. As my daily prayer says:
…forgive us our criticisms
As we forgive those who critique against us
So whether you’re criticizing or praising or ignoring what I post here, I’m benefiting by getting a little stronger and growing up a little more. And hey look – a ZIZ!
I think it’s awesome that you’re showing your work in progress! First, because it’s great to see the creative process of any artist. It demystifies things. But second, because it shows how confident you are in your own process, that you don’t mind people seeing it unfinished.
Seems like you have a great opportunity here. Over at Animation Mentor (where I’ve taught on and off over the years) they go out of their way to create a culture of constructive critique among the students. They ask every student to spend a certain amount of time critiquing others’ work, because it helps them think more critically about their own work, among other benefits. If you wanted to, you could become the nucleus of that kind of community here!
Some students take “critique” to mean “find something negative to nit-pick”. But the most valuable aspect of critique is that it comes from a fresh perspective. So the advice I give to students is: try just describing what it looks like to you. “He seems very sad.” “She looks like she hurt her ankle.” The simple act of describing how you perceive something, without value judgment, can be what gives the most useful information. “Oh, he looks sad? Wow, that’s not what I meant at all, he’s supposed to be angry! I’d better fix that!”
There are some implicit questions in your posts, and you do post variants and ask people which they like, etc. So I think the idea that the incomplete work is posted for commentary/critique is kind of implicit.
But I totally understand how you feel. I’ve gotten several “plot ideas” for Lunatics already. Also technologies people want to see. Organizations to contact for “advice”, etc. As soon as you put stuff out there, this happens.
Rosalyn suggested to me that the correct response (to advice you’re not going to take) is “Thank you for your enthusiasm about our project!” 🙂
Lol! I SO understand your current feelings with all the critics. Listen and you will be drawn down a road that was not of your own making, nor of your intention. Best to keep moving ahead making these beautiful creatures and sharing them freely. I love it!
Do you use any sort of version control tools for this stuff?