"Don't touch a sapling as it sprouts, for the oils of your fingers may hinder it's growth"

If you're lucky, a friend or stranger you encounter one day may ask to show you their art. This is a rare opportunity to see deeply into parts of their soul you may never have seen, and get to know them far faster than you otherwise could have.

It is a gift.

But it should be treated with proper care.

In inviting you to see their art, they are revealing their trust in you. But they are also leaving themselves vulnerable to be damaged by your response. It's on you to act with diligence.

At its best, art is an expression of the inner nature of the artist. Their subject, and the way they choose to portray it, are deeply influenced by their taste.

The more experienced the artist, the more intention lies behind their creation. Every word, every brush stroke, every line, every sound may reflect the artists preference. And their preference is the manifestation of all they have consumed, and all that they care about.

Good art is dense with the artists intention and intelligence.

So in judging your friend's art, you are judging them. You are judging their intentions, their preferences, their emotions.

And you cannot avoid judging their art. Judgement will naturally arise, since your own taste inevitably differs from theirs.

But while judgement is an essential aspect of appreciating most art, it should not be your focus while consuming your friend's art.

Like the oils of your fingers stunting the growth of a sapling, your judgment will stifle the creativity of an artist.

By voicing your opinions, you influence their development. This has a larger effect for those earlier in their creative process, who haven't yet had the time to fully explore their own innate preferences.

And it isn't your place to shape their taste¹.

You may believe your taste is more refined, and that may be true. But your taste is unique; it has been shaped by your own experiences and your nature. The uniqueness of your taste is what enables you to create unique art that's an expression of yourself.

In trying to influence your friend's taste by judging their work, you are denying them the ability to cultivate their own unique preferences².

Rather than focusing on how their art makes you feel or how much it satisfies your own preferences, use it as a lens to learn more about them.

Learn to appreciate their intentions. See through the eyes of their intended audience. Try to put yourself in their perspective as they created the art. Use their art as a medium to observe the subtle aspects of their mind. Expand your capacity to empathize.

And be grateful that they have given you this invitation into their soul. Instead of expressing your judgement, simply observe, and express your appreciation.