Let’s talk about silence. Not in the sense of the lack of sound, or anything like that. Rather, let’s talk about silence as it relates to art.
I don’t think there’s anything quite so uniquely disheartening to an artist than silence. Which doesn’t mean negative reviews can’t bum a person out, to say nothing of outright harassment. Both of those can definitely put one off setting pen to paper. But silence strikes at a particular, despairing chord. It says no one cares about what you’ve done, that what you’ve created does not matter.
Feeling one has left no impact can kill creative drive dead. Think about it. Imagine putting so much effort into something, so much time, and then the response is only… silence. You pour your heart into your work and there is no discussion, no critique or accolades or anything at all. Would you feel like continuing on, or would you seriously consider just putting away the tools of your artistic trade since it seems no one is interested?
Even the smallest of responses can make a world of difference when someone is putting themselves out there to the incredible degree one has to when making art. It doesn’t even have to be approval. Criticism, assuming it is given in good faith and toward constructive ends, lets an artist know that someone cared enough to share their thoughts, to take the time to acknowledge this thing the artist created.
And hey, praise is always nice too. Knowing people enjoyed a piece of art can help keep someone in the game when all those doubts start creeping in. Even a simple “I really liked this” can brighten up a person’s day and make a world of difference.
If you have a friend who is an artist and you enjoy their work, but you’re concerned whatever you say is going to sound silly or asinine, don’t worry. Just say what you feel. They’ll most likely appreciate it, and in my own experience it will definitely be better than silence.