I heard an interesting topic on the radio yesterday (re: eliminated contestants)

[tuneful87]

So the other day I was listening to the radio. They were discussing how studies show that those who experience rejection appear to develop much more creatively than those who do not experience rejection.

That got me thinking about the eleven ANTM contestants who have been eliminated thus far. Since their respective eliminations, Ravie has started the Homescumming competition, TexasGal has created some fabulous Monster High jewelry and generous distributed said bling to other contestants, CSA has rehaired Abbey in a more striking color, and one of the eliminated is now on the judging panel. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that being eliminated in some way affected the creativity of each one of these contestants.

Question - Do you personally (as a contestant, viewer, or anyone in between) think rejection helps to promote creativity? I'd love to hear your personal experiences.

Some of you may not know this, but I did not run the first cycle of ANTM all by myself. Two other lovely members served on the judging panel, and they didn't hold back when it came to critiquing my modeling and photography! At first it stung a little, particularly when I didn't agree, but I definitely feel that my photos have improved since then and I'm constantly looking to take my work to the next level. So I'm very grateful to have received that critique. Of course, I was going to win cycle 1 of ANTM no matter what (yes, that was all 10 of my multiple personalities competing against one another) but it still was jarring to hear the judges and public sometimes react negatively to my photos. But I'd like to think it made me stronger and more open-minded.

OK, your turn!

[saply]

It depends on the person. Sometimes people aren't sufficiently prepared for honest critique, and it just destroys them. I blame the schools giving out participation ribbons during field day.

[Ravie]

Sometimes it does. It makes you want to try harder. I personally hope to compete in the next cycle, whenever it happens and hopefully get a little further. Homescumming comp was mainly to generate more interest for the night class >.> and photo comps are fun! AND I'm finally getting around to doing Percie's makeover

[TexasGal]

I had a lot of fun when I was competing, and I think it did help to give me some guidance in how I should improve.  I want to try again for next competition, but even if I don't make it, I still want to try and o pictures for it anyway.  I think it does help to have some criticism, but it always needs to be constructive. 

[Icicle]

I've never taken rejection/failure/critiques all that well, mainly because how my father chose to react when I failed at something (or anything really, but that's another thread!) and because of just how I deal with things in general, haha.

BUT! The critiques and the competition as a whole have helped me work on my posing/picture composition and to be perfectly honest have solidified the fact that when I can get a car I want to start going to school for photography so I can learn to deal with this stuff even better and grow better from it.

[Summer-blade]

I've only recently learned to take critiques well about a few years ago they would have crushed me due to the low self confadance I used to have. I've kind of begun to accept the fact that I'm not always going to be thee absolute best at something and that totally ok! Being an artistic type someone picking apart my 'work' is hard to take even if they're being nice about it but I can deal with it now.

I figure if I learn something from an experience it's worth the effort, and as long as I'm happy with my work that's all that matters.

[Icecrystalline]

I agree, sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. For me, it didn't really affect me as I was eliminated so early on, and I loved photography before ANTM anyway, I think personally, it's the fact that I am taking AS Photography and we are focusing on portraiture, it's really helped me learn about lighting conditions, what works and what doesn't etc.

[kamakazee82]

lol failure affecting creativity? ... i can kind of speak to this from several aspects ... writer, artist, pseudo-model, performer etc etc

YES! it does ... if it wasn't for the critiques and failures (on top of my desire to "SMASH! DESTROY! KILL!" all nay sayers lol) i wouldn't ever have improved or changed

and i think it's plane to ANYONE who looks at your pics Tuney from the start to finish of they first ANTM cycle that you clearly improved too, not to say that you were bad to start lol cause you still took amazing pics lol and now they're just even more amazing lol

it all rests on how you take it as a creative individual ... but it also depends on what kind of "criticism" and/or "failure" it is ... my parents are pretty freakin awful ... and i learned to just ignore them because no matter what they were just prejudiced against me and wanted me to fail ... so i listened to the people who knew, took what they said and ran with it ... modding it ... adapting it to my style ... and i grew ... and before you know it it was minor critiques, i had found where i was meant to be and i'm all the better for it ...

i hope that even those eliminated early on int he competition still took notes, and paid attention to what was said and use it to their advantage in other competitions

[aellos]

Haha, I was about to comment on my rejection when I realized that I wasn't rejected. I had to drop out. I also haven't been able to take it any further because I've been so busy and tired.

BUT, the negative constructive critique of my photos helped me greatly. And I do feel like I've had a chance to sit back and learn more from the other's as well.

I highly think that rejection can foster creativity. The only thing standing in some people's way is how they handle it.

[Gingerbread]

I take criticism sometimes too much to heart. It happened a couple of times during ANTM - I took a photo that I thought was absolutely amazing, and the judges thought it was awful! I always submitted at least two or three pictures, and to see the 'worst' picture being chosen was sometimes quite hard to take. I can always see both points of view though, although I didn't get it  right that often

I think (Hope!!!) my photography has become better in the past few months, when I entered Lilitha in ANTM she was the second doll I had, I had only been taking photos of them for about a week! So to be chosen was amazing, and to  finish in sixth place was just something I never, ever thought would happen. The vampire CAM is I believe the least popular doll out there (and the least photogenic, sorry Lilitha but you're a pain ) but I think that helped me not to become too complacent.

I do hope to enter the next cycle of ANTM, as learning is the thing for me, plus I have more ghouls to choose from and photograph now

[michelle53]

I agree, sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. For me, it didn't really affect me as I was eliminated so early on, and I loved photography before ANTM anyway, I think personally, it's the fact that I am taking AS Photography and we are focusing on portraiture, it's really helped me learn about lighting conditions, what works and what doesn't etc.

Icy, I have to say that your photography has gotten crazy good!!  I think that your pictures have improved so much since you were eliminated.  I would wager that if you entered the next cycle, you would probably win.  I really admire you for sticking with photography and having the confidence to post your pictures! 

I think it is a rare gift to be able to grow from negative critique.  I have to be honest, I have a really hard time hearing negative things about me.  I'm a confident woman, but self-doubt creeps up on me from time to time. 

[aellos]

I agree, sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. For me, it didn't really affect me as I was eliminated so early on, and I loved photography before ANTM anyway, I think personally, it's the fact that I am taking AS Photography and we are focusing on portraiture, it's really helped me learn about lighting conditions, what works and what doesn't etc.

Icy, I have to say that your photography has gotten crazy good!!  I think that your pictures have improved so much since you were eliminated.  I would wager that if you entered the next cycle, you would probably win.  I really admire you for sticking with photography and having the confidence to post your pictures! 

I think it is a rare gift to be able to grow from negative critique.  I have to be honest, I have a really hard time hearing negative things about me.  I'm a confident woman, but self-doubt creeps up on me from time to time. 

OMG I agree. Like you went BAM amazing photos. Like in strides. I love it.

[PandaBerryInSpace]

Well, I never competed. My entry photos were terrible, so I didn't make it in at all. Being rejected has helped me to improve my photography altogether -- my current photography is much better than what I was producing then. I hope that, sometime, in the future, I can compete properly.

[Salli]

Getting rejection (whether it's my doll or the doll I am rooting for) always stings at first, but then I digest and grow stronger from it. I've seen this same thing happen here. It's going to be rough the first time my doll gets eliminated, or even just raked over the coals. But I always bounce back with newfound fight!

[Clementine]

Haha, the stuff I think about my own art and photography tends to be worse than any critiques or rejections I get... Although I do get quite a few "Oh that's... um... /wonderful/ *cough*"s from my parents and friends that sting at first it just motivates me more to get better and better. Also, sharing my art online and getting more feedback from people has sure helped my digital art and photography improve by leaps and bounds in the past year alone when I've been drawing digital art and photography for many years so all that feedback and stuff has pretty much proven to have helped me improve even if I don't always like to hear it