Biting Critique
Have you ever been in a critique? I went to Cranbrook Academy of Art for graduate school back in the early 80s. I was in the printmaking department and once a week we would have critiques with the entire group (18 students). They were brutal and if I had been illustrating what it was really like in this drawing she would not just have her hand and foot gone but her head as well. How bad was it? I was denied admission for a second and final year because my work wasn’t good enough in my professor’s eyes. We had moved 2,000 miles across the country for me to go to school there and a year later I was out and we had to go back to California. I started over and eventually got my graduate degree, an MFA, from San Jose State University. But make no mistake, I was chewed up and spit out and it wasn’t fun.
Reaping
But, in truth, it was nature at it’s best. That means it was not a punishment for me and those who stayed for the second year didn’t get a reward. We all got consequences. I reaped the consequences of artistic and personal immaturities and arrogances on my part. I reaped the consequences of unhelpful habits on my part. I reaped the consequences of personality conflicts with a professor. I reaped the consequences of a system that I thought then, and I think now, had some serious flaws in it. But the totality of that experience had very little to do with rewards granted and punishments imposed in an arbitrary way. It had everything to do with cause and effect, action and reaction, truth and consequence.
What about you? Do you think you deserve to be punished or rewarded for something you have done? Or can you take the more neutral, less morally condemning view, that you are merely suffering the consequences?
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Drawing by Marty Coleman, who had to find a picture of a lion eating something to get it right.
Quote by Robert G. Ingersoll, 1833-1899, American orator and political leader. He is a forgotten gem of the golden age of American speech making. He is well worth investigating.
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Trivia of the Day
If a saint is depicted with three balls, who is he?
Answer will be at the next posting.
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I’ve never seen a Mountain Lion in Oklahoma City or Tulsa. I belong to a writing group whose students give “constructive feedbacks” to our writing. The consequences are suppose to make us better writers and more confident of our writing. For me, that’s been true. Whether my writing is good or bad, it is improving and I’m more confident and do much more in various situations. I enjoy your artwork and look forward to it, as well as the articles.
haha Eyrline, I didn’t mean we have them here in our towns, I meant here in the US as opposed to the commenters home of South Africa.
I know what you mean about constructive criticism. It’s the best way to learn and grow I think.
Thank you for the compliments, I appreciate it a great deal.
Your lion looks very real 🙂 But let me know if you ever need photos of lions from over here…
I will definately investigate this Ingersoll guy 🙂
Thanks Charlene, that’s a good compliment coming from an Afrikaner, right? Your NY trip looked awesome, I am glad you got to experience it. What a place, right?
It’s a very big compliment 🙂 I have seen many lions in my life. Scary, but beautiful creatures…
Our NY trip was amazing! A once in a life time experience… There is still so many parts of America I want to see though. Will just have to keep on saving 🙂
We don’t see lions here unless they are mountain lions which really aren’t the same. Mountain lions are more like cougars and panthers in their size and look. But, I did have to look at a photo of a lion to get the look right.
Yes, that is how I felt about going to Europe with my daughters back in 2003. Saved up and went, and have been saving up sky miles via my credit card for 10 years to get me back there someday!
My other hope is that I can make my Napkin Dad business big enough that people in amazing places (like South Africa) will want to hire me to come give a big lecture about it all! So far I have done that in America, but not international yet. I can still hope though, right?
I googled a mountain lion 🙂 Also very beautiful it looks like, but less beardy 🙂
I really also want to do Europe…the world is just too big! I think it’s awesome doing that with your daughters. I loved holidays with my dad 🙂
I think you must always hope…that is the only thing that keeps our dreams alive. I do hope it works out for you! I would come and listen to you 🙂
Love Ingersoll and his way of thinking.
Lynda, it’s amazing how famous and influential he was throught the second half of the 19th century. But with the onset of the 20th his secular / agnostic views went out of favor as the country had a religious backlash. He deserves to be paid attention to.
Truth, Marty… and thank you for sharing it.
Thanks Mandy, I appreciate you sharing it on your SM outlets as well!