Candice Phillips' Manifesto

I would hate for people to be feel that they are not experienced or educated enough to consider themselves a critic as I once did. Perhaps it was that I did not value my own opinion. I never realized how easy it was to be a critic. In fact, I never noticed my constant use of judgment in the form of criticism to determine my every move. Whether a critic is being paid to publish his/her opinion or if it is simply a conversation between friends, we are all critics. Every day we are faced with decisions which require critical thinking; what we are going to wear, what we are going to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner and what music to listen to on the way to work.

The difference between a conversation among friends involving criticism and a publication involving criticism is the ability to defend the opinion in a tangible medium. Published critics have the opportunity to share their opinion with more than just their coffee buddies. Due to their power to publish they are faced with the responsibility to start the conversation allowing for opposing opinions.

A critic is simply an unsolicited advisor. A critic’s love for food, art, music or books is what drives them to share their experience with others in hopes that others will want to enjoy a similar experience. They find something they love and are encouraged to tell others why they feel this way.

One of the most important roles of a critic is to answer the question “why?” Without answers to this question there is no reason to trust what the critic is preaching. Critics earn their credibility by telling readers “why” without them having to ask.

Today’s arts and culture critics face the challenge of separating themselves from every other critic in the world of the Internet. How do we know who to trust? How do we know who to listen to? Find a critic you identify with and stick with them. As a critic, we have to stand firm in our opinion and hope that we have an audience with which we connect. It takes courage to put yourself out there as a critic and let others criticize your criticism.

I see the future of criticism growing steadily on the Internet. Some publications will continue to have critics on staff but more people are finding access to the Internet, giving them a medium to publish their opinions.