PE: #Gimmefeedback interview

Jan 20, 201217 min read

Deviation Actions

Published: Jan 20, 2012

1.1K Views

Critique Groups

There are hundreds of critique groups out there, many of which we have mentioned in previous articles. One group in particular GimmeFeedback kindly offered to share some insight to what it takes to run a critique focussed group, with the wonderful assistance of founder Aeirmid aka Jade!

Can you summarise in 5 words what is about?

Education. Expression. Improvement. Collegiality. Open-mindedness.

Okay now let us have a more detailed overview

GimmeFeedback has as its explicit mission the intention to help artists from all backgrounds, media, and skill levels learn more about their work and improve it by hearing different perspectives about their creations. We have a strict "give before you receive" policy under which every deviant (admins included) must leave two critiques for other individuals before posting their own work to receive critique. We feel that it is this policy that has made the group resilient over the years, where some similar groups have fallen.

How did originate?

Years ago, I established GimmeFeedback under the old clubs system for the explicit purpose of helping deviants get more feedback on their work. This agenda was partly selfish! I think I had gotten to the point in my own growth curve where I knew I couldn't improve without the help of others, but I wanted to reach out to others and help them, too. So, I created the club, and it was a pretty resounding success.

People are hungry for knowledge of how they can make their art better, and we gave them a forum for obtaining that knowledge.

Our other Founder, Raishuu, deserves the credit for working with moonbeam13 to translate the club into the group system in the very early stages of the group phenomenon. This transition gave us the ability to have better control over who became and did not become a member, and a brilliant script by parallellogic helped us monitor who gave and received feedback.

The group evolved in accordance with improvements in groups technology and, of course, with the needs of the members. Today, it is more dynamic than ever, and our members are what make it truly outstanding.

What aims does GimmeFeedback have and how do you go about achieving them?

Our mission is to help deviants receive feedback on their art. That does imply, though, that a secondary goal is to help deviants learn to critique others' art.

We have a very active administrative team that sets an example of what critique should look like within their given specialty. While all of our members are wonderful, we have a few who are outstanding and outspoken in providing feedback to the others in the group as well as to us as administrators. Although we have more than 700 members, the group becomes small and cozy really quickly because our gallery is divided according to artistic medium. So, painters, for example, are getting feedback from other painters, which is often (not always) more useful to them technique-wise than feedback from a photomanipulator like me would be. It is also more appealing for a painter to critique another painter, so the system works more smoothly this way.

I think, too, that our "critique 2, post 1" rule is effective at helping us evolve and in ensuring that everyone gets the chance to receive critique. We know from feedback we've received that people feel this system is fair, and they continue to be willing to participate.

Finally, we would be absolutely nowhere without our members. I would say they were the best of any group I've ever administered, but I'd get stoned by the other groups. So, I won't say that.

Here's why they are wonderful, though: GimmeFeedback members tell it like it is. They are not hesitant to call us (the admins) out if we do something that may not be fair or something with which they disagree or even have a question. They get involved with group discussions, make suggestions for improvements, and have a wonderful attitude about helping one another. It is truly an amazing community.

What do members need to do to get involved?

Members need to visit the group galleries, paying special attention to the ones most pertinent to their own media, and try their hand at critiquing someone's work. There is no "right" or "wrong" critique; we just encourage them to be honest and state what they see in a positive, constructive manner. Again, to submit one piece of art for critique, the deviant must provide two critiques or thoughtful comments on other people's work. To join, though, potential members MUST have read the group rules, or they will not be admitted.

What are the roles of your staff and contributors?

All of us give critiques as we are able, and we all chip in with respect to moderating submissions and membership requests. As Founder, my job consists mostly of keeping members apprised of group changes and events via updating the blogs, reaching out to other feedback communities and projects across dA to try to build bridges, and brainstorming new projects and other interesting things to do. Our other Founder, Raishuu, is on leave at the moment. We are holding her place for her. We are in the process of redefining roles for our Co-Founders, sponkey, DexterLexter, and BWozniakPhotography. I anticipate that one of them primarily will be in charge of the galleries, whereas the others will participate more in activities. But, that remains to be seen.

We also have our Contributors class reserved for members who make meaningful contributions to our group over time. They are not assigned any "tasks," per se, unless they want to be more involved. This role is meant to honor them for their hard work in our community.

What extra things does your group offer?

In addition to chances for promotion to Contributors, the group offers features, games, activities, and educational programs. For example, we are getting ready to have ArtQuest, where different members of the community are volunteering to share their medium for one week by featuring art, showcasing tutorials, providing critiques, and writing about it from firsthand experience. We had a "before-and-after" competition when we first switched to the Groups system; it is probably time for one again! The "extra" that I think is most important is the feeling of friendly support and camaraderie among our members.

What makes this group unique to other critique focused groups?

I think the "extra" things noted above are what make this group unique. I know that our group works. That is not to say the others don't work-- I truly would not know. But ours has withstood the test of time and is still going strong.

What has your own experiences with the group being like?

It is sometimes uplifting, like when I see a wonderful critique that someone has received, a critique that has made a difference for them. Sometimes it can be frustrating, like when people do not want to follow rules that are pretty straightforward (e.g. Comment! Then Submit!). I am very energetic as a person, so I do my best to keep things upbeat, dynamic, and positive. And, there are times when I make mistakes, like being overzealous. Even then, I always want the best for the group and will fight to get it. Our members deserve that.

How do you view the significance of critique in an online artistic environment?

I believe that the importance of critique in a place like dA cannot be overstated. It is how we grow as artists and, really, how we grow as human beings. It is our way of coming out of our shells and looking at our own creations-- our "children," in some ways-- through other people's eyes. It is a mechanism for acknowledging that we are not the end-all, be-all of life, that there are other perspectives and feelings outside of our own. It keeps us dynamic and alive. More should be done, in my opinion, to promote critique in the deviantART community.