garnis said:

If that is your knee-jerk reaction to his "critique," then you're exactly the kind of destructive teacher that I had all through my middle school and high school "career."

Not physically destructive, but mentally...creatively...psychologically destructive. I know those are big words that involve honest reflection, so I'm not sure you're following me, but I think most of us here can understand what I'm saying. Turns out I've got quite a knack for creating extremely unconventional "art" - I feel weird calling it that, b/c it's just something that I do...but it feels good...and it makes me feel good...and I'm proud of it.

I wish I could have adopted that attitude when I was in high school art class and a teacher with your mindset gave me a C on my drawing because it "wasn't realistic enough." (I know to normal people getting a C is not catastrophic, but trust me - you may as well have told me that I was the spawn of Satan and I would be cast into the fiery bowels of Hell...hehe, I'm not kidding either. Don't worry, I'm waaay past that.) Anyway, if it's possible, maybe you could consider that it doesn't matter whether you or anybody else LIKES your art...it just matters what YOU think about it. Isn't that what Prince is always blathering about?

Are you an art teacher? It'd be great if you didn't stunt any quirky weirdo's development, ya know? The world needs more freaks...desperately. If someone puts their heart into it and opens up a little bit...even if it looks like a piece of shit...don't add to the shit. Encourage. Nurture.

Don't mean to come across like an asshole, but it really upsets me when I see something like this. It reminds me of The Wall: "Ah, the lad fancies himself a poet!"