If the word critique makes you tense up, this episode is for you.

This isn’t a conversation about “fixing” your paintings or performing for approval. It’s about learning to see your own work more clearly—and how the right kind of critique can be the fastest path to creative confidence.

I brought three Growth Studio artists—Beverly Woodhall, Elisabeth Svendby, and Sabrina Setaro—to talk about what actually happens when you put your work in front of someone else. The nerves, the breakthroughs, and the surprising ways critique has helped them trust themselves more, not less.

We talk about:

• Why learning to say what you love about your work changes everything
• How to know which feedback to keep—and what to ignore
• Why critiques are never just about this painting
• Letting go of the pressure to pick one style or subject forever
• The quiet mindset shifts that help you keep showing up

This episode might change how you feel about being seen. It might even make you want to bring your work forward.

Your Episode Map

[0:00] Why critique feels scary—and why it’s worth it
[4:30] The unexpected benefits of saying what you love about your work
[8:45] “It’s not about this painting”—what critique really teaches you
[14:00] When to share your work: in progress vs. finished
[21:00] The moment you learn to kill your darlings (and why that’s freedom)
[28:15] Learning to trust your own instincts—even when others disagree
[35:10] Why “trying the weird idea” often leads to your best work
[42:30] What to look for in a meaningful critique (and red flags to avoid)
[49:50] Final reflections: how critique builds courage one painting at a time

Mentioned in Why Get Your Work Critiqued?

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Elisabeth Svendby | Instagram
Beverly Woodhall | Instagram

Do you spend more time thinking about making art than actually making it? Start things you never finish? Make work and then stack it against the wall, facing inward, so you don't have to look at it?

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