Why You Need a Critique Group 👩🎨👩🎨
And how to find one that works for you.
I was giving a critique a couple of months ago and the illustrator I was critiquing asked me a question: Should she go back to school and get a master’s degree in children’s illustration?
My answer: No.
Well, it depends really. But do I think going back to school guarantees you an agent or a book deal or any other children’s illustration accolade? Yeeeeeeah, my answer is still no.
Getting a master’s degree can take up a LOT of time, energy, and money. And if you have all of those in abundance, then don’t let me stop you. Go for it! But if you don’t, no worries.
What helped me most when I was trying to break into the children’s book industry wasn’t an art degree or having university contacts.
It was having a really good critique group.
Being in a great critique group helped me get:
A six-figure, 2-picture-book deal with a major publisher.
A potential day job opportunity in the arts (it didn’t work out but I wouldn’t have known about it without my amazing critique group friends!)
A rockstar agent.
And essentially, a career in publishing!
So yeah. Critique groups are AWESOME.
* Record scratch* What is a critique group?
A children’s book critique group is a group of artists/writers/both who meet regularly to give and receive feedback on their writing and/or illustrations. Critique members show their portfolio pieces, manuscripts, dummies, query letters, and business endeavors to their peers and ask for advice and feedback on what they are working on. It’s a great way to gauge how you’re doing in the industry and get good and regular advice for your creative practice.
Some groups are just for picture book writers. Some are just for children’s book illustration. You’ll want to find the artistic niche that works for you.
Why is having a good critique group so important?
Deadlines and accountability! If you’re in a critique group that meets every week, you’ve now got a reason to create work on a deadline. Having accountability from other artists outside of your own personal deadlines can help you achieve your goals faster than if you were just trying to motivate yourself on your own.
I’m notoriously bad at sticking to my personal goal calendar so having that outside accountability from my critique partners, who are less time-challenged than myself has literally been a lifesaver!You get a view of your work that’s not your own. Your critique partners have their own unique ideas and they can help you see your work from perspectives that are different from your own.
When you are stuck on drawing a character a certain way or are struggling with getting perspective just right or you can’t think of how to phrase a certain sentence, that’s okay! You now have the collective knowledge and unique perspectives of other super cool creatives to boost your brain and get you thinking about how to approach your problem from a different angle.
I don’t know how many times I’ve felt completely stuck with a book, then taken it to my critique group where they’ve suggested a totally amazing, fantastic and absolutely obvious solution within five minutes of showing them my work. It’s like ACTUAL MAGIC. And, just as satisfying, you can offer them YOUR knowledge which can help them in just as wonderful a way.Networking! I have an inkling that most people don’t realize that networking is a pretty big part of being a children’s book creator. But not to fear!
Being a part of a critique group is a great introduction to creative networking. You get used to speaking to other creatives on a regular basis and learn professional lingo. And I couldn’t count how many times I’ve had professional opportunities come my way thanks to my critique partners. And I’ve really enjoyed passing opportunities forward and seeing my critique partners reap their own rewards from that!You don’t have to work alone!! Working in isolation can lead to horrible cyclical thought cycles. Some of my favorite horrible thought cycles go like this: is what I’m making any good? Is my artwork actually terrible? Will I ever truly make it as an illustrator? What if no one ever hires me ever again and my whole world explodes??? I’m sure some of you reading can relate!
It’s a blessing to be able to do creative work remotely and in solitude, but too much isolation can cause you to lose sight of what you’re creating, especially when art is so subjective.
A portfolio piece that isn’t working for you might look perfect to your critique partners. And a story that you think is perfect for an agent might still need some more work according to them.
Being a children’s book creator can be a lonely career, so to have like-minded people around you who can give you insight, who you can vent to, chat with, and tell horrible jokes with may be just what you need to motivate yourself and throw those bad thought cycles in the garbage.
Tips for Your Critiquing Journey :
Learn how to critique and how to take a critique. In art school, a normal part of my classes was to participate in FIVE-HOUR critique sessions. Let’s just say these were brutal. There MAY have been crying (there definitely was crying)…
But five hours of giving and taking critiques allowed me and my classmates to learn valuable critiquing skills. You learned when to give input, what feedback to implement, and what advice to take and which advice to ignore.
This most likely won’t be something that will come naturally to you, so make the effort to learn how to give good constructive criticism and when to hold back. Critiquing is a skill and you’ll get better at it with practice!Critique groups are relationships. You don’t have to stay in one if the relationship isn’t working. If you don’t get along with your critique partners or if you aren’t getting the feedback you feel like you need to become a better artist, it’s okay to leave. Critique groups are not set in stone; if you need to find a new group then gently break up with your current one and find new people.
Sometimes, schedules or life events get in the way as well and you’ll need to leave for that reason! That’s okay!Try and find a group where you’re all at a similar skill level or where people are at a higher level than you. The ideal situation is where all the critique members bring their own unique skills to the group! Try and reach out to other illustrators who are at a similar part of their creative career as you.
I was once a part of a great critique group where everyone there had at a graphic design background. We all came from different types of graphic design so we could all give each other unique insights on different art-making methods, business skills, etc. We ended up dissolving because of scheduling conflicts but I still think of those meetups regularly!
Ideally, you all grow and progress together :)
Where to get a critique group?
Don’t be afraid to reach out to illustrators on social media, at conferences, etc. The worst thing that can happen is that those illustrators say they are “not interested”! I’ve met critique partners at SCBWI conferences, meetings, and through Instagram. You never know where you’re going to find your people!
Here’s an example message you could send to a potential critique buddy:
“Hi (name of super cool illustrator),
I’ve been following your work for a while and am so in love with (name of books they’ve illustrated).
I was wondering if you’d be interested in starting a critique group together? I am not a part of a group right now but would love to have someone to bounce ideas off of. I love your work and I think we would work together super well because (name a reason).
Would you be interested? No worries if not! I’m sure you’re super busy with (name a project of theirs). If you know of any other critique groups who are looking for an extra person, please let me know! I would really appreciate it.
Thanks so much for your time,
Your Name”
SCBWI is a great place to find people for critique groups, both in person and online as well. Contact your local chapter to see if they have openings in any ongoing groups, or ask if you could create your own group through them!
Don’t feel afraid to get online with your critique group. About 99% of the critique groups I’m in are online, which is great because that means that I get to hang out with illustrators from all over the globe!
It’s also super convenient if you have a strict schedule to work around or if you aren’t able to meet in person/travel long distances to an in-person meetup.
When you become an Illustrator’s Art Club VIP paid member for only $5 a month, you’ll get access to our community Discord group where we have channels for portfolio critiques, manuscript critiques, general publishing chats, and more! We love to offer feedback there and you’ll get to join a growing community of amazing creatives chocked full of great advice!
Thanks for reading all the way to the end! As a bonus, I’m telepathically sending you all my good critique-group-finding-energy so you can find the people who will help you reach the next stage of your creative journey. (I’m also telepathically letting you know that you’ll make a few friends in your critique groups too!).
Until next time 💛
Hugs,
Marissa
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This is a great description of, and advert for critique groups Marissa, well said and thanks.
Thank you, Marissa, so demystifying!