Over the years, I have received MANY critiques of my work, be it furniture, podcasts, DVDs, books, or even the way I speak. With the exception of two or three cases, ALL of them were unsolicited and from strangers. But that’s just life on the internet. If you post anything online, you should expect at least one or two people to offer an opinion on the quality of your work. I’d guess that most folks aren’t looking for criticism but there are some who absolutely thrive on it. And if you ever submit a project for judging, be prepared for there to be a rock in your gut when you see people inspecting your work with a pad and pencil in-hand. By the way, that’s a picture of David Marks and me judging a contest at a local Woodcraft store.

Part of the trouble with criticism is the fact that you have to first determine the validity of the critique and whether or not it applies to your situation. You know what they say opinions are like, right? But some opinions, even the ones that hurt, contain incredibly useful advice.

So the fundamental problem for someone who likes to critique is you never know if the person posting their project really wants your thoughts, unless they ask for it. As the person posting the work, you essentially have to critique the critiques!

No matter how you slice it, it’s a sensitive subject. So I’m curious, how do you feel about having your work critiqued? Can you share a story of a particular critique that was really helpful? Or maybe you had a negative experience you’d like to share.

Do you like having your work critiqued?