Thank you for visiting my blog! Below, I have written some guidelines for you to follow when commenting on my work. Please be considerate of what you write and always think before you post.

• Use comments to show what you think is important, interesting, controversial, thoughtful.

I believe that commenting on a post is a great way to showcase your thoughts and opinions. When commenting on my work, please feel free to demonstrate what you believe is important to share with the world, as well as what you think is interesting. However, make sure to be thoughtful of what you’re writing about and who you’re writing it for.

• Treat people the way you want to be treated.

When commenting on a post, be sure to write criticism and thoughts that you would want to hear from someone else. Never write something rude and disrespectful that you would hate to hear being said to you. Before posting your comment, put yourself in the blogger’s shoes and think “what would I want to hear from my audience?”

• Constructive criticism only. Critique the idea, not the person. Being derogatory or inflammatory distracts the conversation. Respect other people and their opinions and ideas.

When commenting on my work, constructive criticism is beneficial for me to know what I can improve on. However, when giving criticism to a fellow peer, be sure to critique the idea, not the person. If you chose to critique me instead of my work, you may come off as rude and disrespectful to the audience.

• Consider starting with a compliment

When commenting on someones work, (or in this case my work) it is always a good idea to keep in mind that the blogger put a lot of time into making their post. If you have no constructive criticism, personal opinions, or kind messages, giving a compliment is always a respectful way to reflect on someone’s post.

Example of a thoughtful comment:

Post: A new photo of an autumn painting I had just finished

“Hey Elin! I love your new painting of the autumn trees! The techniques that you used to make the leaves look like they were actually falling was very cool. Next time, try using a fan brush to help blend the colours of the sky to give the painting more of a warm feel.”