You Gotta Have Friends

Brainstorming.

For me, it is the hardest part of the whole art-making process. I can come up with 542258 ideas, but that doesn't mean a single one of them is a good idea. How are we supposed to know what a good idea is? Are we even supposed to care?

On one hand, you might just want to get your message out. Who cares what other people think of the actual work. You are just making art and getting your comment out there. But how do you know if your message is getting across to your viewers? Does it even matter?

I find that I cannot get myself to actually start a project until I discuss my ideas with a peer, a classmate, or even a friend who is not studying in the field of art. I am not even remotely comfortable until I have someone else's opinion and some understanding of how an audience may react.

It's not that my ideas are horrible. I just cannot convince myself that they are decent until I say them out loud to someone else. Even then they usually need small tweaks that are often resolved while discussing with my peers.

It may just be me, but I think that you (or at least I) cannot make decent art without shooting ideas among friends. They are your first audience, your harshest critics, and your best chance at improvement.