My drawing circle meets every week to work on figure studies and we've all become friends, but now when someone's work is clearly struggling we just smile and nod instead of offering real feedback, and I think our friendship is making us worse artists. We're so careful with each other that no one's drawings are improving.
More people experience this than they realize.
A creative community discovers that care and challenge exist in tension, and avoiding discomfort can prevent development.
“Where Are You with Visual art — making images?”
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.