CAN'T SEE THE WOOD FOR THE TREES

Crunch time, out came my humble little offering of Where’s Grandpa? to be hung, drawn and quartered by my writing peers. Amazing how just a few minutes of someone else’s perusal of your supposed ’work of art’ can bring to light issues or features previously unrecognized. We are too close to how we act to see ourselves as others see us, and too close to our creative efforts to see the finer points or rough edges which others may see quite clearly.

In small groups at my ‘Writing and Illustrating Children’s Books’ Adult Ed course on the weekend, we had a go at critiquing each other’s work, not with a view to pulling them apart, but having a go at the process we will have to do more stringently for ourselves when we’re operating in isolation. Noting those things which grab us, either good or bad, things which are confusing or ambiguous, in order that the finished product will improve in the process.

It’s no simple thing, allowing someone else to read what you think is a fairly ok piece of writing, especially a bunch of strangers. Armed with the directives of “don’t take it personally” and for constructive feedback to include both positives and negatives, it was quite a liberating experience, making it easy to listen and overcome the temptation to be defensive. In the creative session which followed my 524 word story lost 122 superfluous words, and I think was much better for it.

Actually, having people you’ve never met before look over your work is a darn sight more profitable than sharing it around your family and close friends. Those closest to you are rarely objective enough to be of much use, because their response will usually be dependent on their relationship with you. When you need someone to look constructively at what you’ve produced, go further afield. That way, you eliminate any confusion of a critique of your work being a criticism of you as a person.

Funny how difficult it is to separate ourselves from what we do or what we create. We are judged by our behaviour, our skills and our achievements. If in our own mind we don’t measure up to the one standing next us, it’s easy to assume we are therefore a lesser human being. What doesn’t come into the equation is our intention, our desire to try something new, our attempts to step outside our comfort zone, those moments when we have the courage to not let the past determine the future. If we could rate ourselves on that basis, and not on the final product, then maybe we’d be a little gentler on ourselves.