I stole this line from a brilliant video featuring poet/teacher Taylor Mali, which you'll just have to watch to get the full context. It'll be worth 3 minutes of your time, promise. (I first saw this video on one of my favorite pottery blogs)
I have honesty on my mind today because I was asked to jury a show at the Scope Gallery in the Torpedo factory. I did this once before, about two years ago. Back then I didn't like everything I saw, including the work of an adorable elderly potter, who was present for my feedback, so I had to criticize her to her face. That didn't feel good. I was worried I had been too mean. But then one of the potters-in-charge asked if I could recommend other jurors who would be like me. And now two years later, they asked me to do it again. This time I knew I didn't have to feel bad for being honest. And none of the potters were present for their feedback, except for Karen Abromaitis who was scribing my thoughts, but lucky for me I think her work is pretty stellar. So I felt free to let them have it. There was lots of pottery worthy of high praise. And some pots that were so crummy that my students would have recycled them. Some that I had criticized two years ago, which had grown and improved by a lot. One or two who took a step back, in a search for new direction. Some that I had praised, but still the artist advanced and evolved anyways (now that's a true artist). I know some of them won't be happy with me, but that's ok, even if they don't ask me to come back again.
Going through this makes me hate J.Lo and Steven Tyler even more for ruining American Idol, with their excessive and gushing praise of mediocre singing. If I can rip a little old lady, and live to tell about it, they can do their jobs too!!
I have honesty on my mind today because I was asked to jury a show at the Scope Gallery in the Torpedo factory. I did this once before, about two years ago. Back then I didn't like everything I saw, including the work of an adorable elderly potter, who was present for my feedback, so I had to criticize her to her face. That didn't feel good. I was worried I had been too mean. But then one of the potters-in-charge asked if I could recommend other jurors who would be like me. And now two years later, they asked me to do it again. This time I knew I didn't have to feel bad for being honest. And none of the potters were present for their feedback, except for Karen Abromaitis who was scribing my thoughts, but lucky for me I think her work is pretty stellar. So I felt free to let them have it. There was lots of pottery worthy of high praise. And some pots that were so crummy that my students would have recycled them. Some that I had criticized two years ago, which had grown and improved by a lot. One or two who took a step back, in a search for new direction. Some that I had praised, but still the artist advanced and evolved anyways (now that's a true artist). I know some of them won't be happy with me, but that's ok, even if they don't ask me to come back again.
Going through this makes me hate J.Lo and Steven Tyler even more for ruining American Idol, with their excessive and gushing praise of mediocre singing. If I can rip a little old lady, and live to tell about it, they can do their jobs too!!
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