The Pain and Power of Tough Criticism
Carolyn Edlund
We all love to get wonderful compliments on our art. But sometimes we get feedback that is hard to take. It might be the best thing you could hear.
A young jewelry designer once recalled a turning point in her business. She had had a conversation and critique with a mentor, who was a jewelry designer himself. They sat down and took a look at her line together. The feedback she received was that her designs were "too common" and derivative. She was told her collection was not distinctive enough, and that she wouldn't be able to justify her prices because her work would be closely compared to imports, which were similar.
The designer took that criticism hard, and she actually stopped working in the studio for about two months. But then, she started fresh. Determined to succeed, she went back to the drawing board and created a line of jewelry that was appealing, had an interesting concept and really connected with customers. Years later, her well-received accessory line is still thriving, and she sells her work wholesale to stores across the U.S.
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