Mary's Thoughts

Caitlin #1
I think that almost everyone our age is malleable, whether as artists or not. What is going on in the world around us inevitably influences our work. In one way, our work would not exist if it were not for all of our experiences and interactions that have happened to us thus far. Although all of this stuff influences our art, it is important that we channel it all into something wholly new and unique. It's sort of like writing a paper for one of our classes. We read tons of scholarly journals to learn and understand others ideas. Then we use this knowledge to form our own ideas without plagiarizing. In the same sense, we must learn from other artists and critics and still form our own unique artistic style.

Caitlin #3
I did understand the suggestion that when a younger artist visits older, it is more of an opportunity for the younger to question and when an older artist visits a younger, it is an opportunity for the younger to receive criticism. I did not understand why two artists of the same age are more likely to steal ideas. I feel as though this is ultimately a risk between artists of all ages, especially with everything accessible through the internet. I think all artists share ideas and whether or not those ideas are stolen is dependent on individual honor rather than age. I'd like to think that all McDaniel students uphold the honor code and we do not need to worry about stealing ;)

Megan #1
If a critic had nothing nice to say, I would still rather him or her share than just leave without saying anything. I know if the critic just left I would probably freak out trying to figure out what they thought of my work on their own. I do not think that would be constructive at all because ultimately I would just tear apart every thinkable aspect of my work and decide to quit trying. If the critic said negative things, it would be tough to hear, but that is something we must go through to progress. Hopefully the criticism would be constructive and lead to positive changes in my work. I also think that it is possible to hear criticism and decide whether or not it is something you agree with. As artists we must be able to look objectively at our work and see where it needs change. Criticism from others is a helpful part of that process.