From Contestant to Judge

I recently had the opportunity to be part of The Outstanding Artist Season 4 as a judge for the first half of the season. It’s something I didn’t take lightly.

Having experienced the competition as a finalist in Season 2, I understand how much weight each decision carries. As a judge, you’re not just evaluating the work in front of you, you’re influencing outcomes, direction, and momentum for each artist involved. That responsibility stays with you.

It was an incredible experience to stand alongside Elli Milan, Tanya Aubut, and Asia DeVore in that role. Being in that environment, seeing the work come through, and having to articulate what stands out and why, sharpened something in me.

Not just in how I critique other artists’ work, but in how I look at my own work.

If anything, it made me more aware. More aware of what I value, and also more aware of how easy it is to question your own work when you’ve just stepped out of a position like that.

There’s a strange shift that happens. You move from evaluating work at a high level, back into your own studio, and there’s a moment where you pause. Where you look at what you’re making and wonder how it holds up.

The mind can take that in different directions. What I’ve had to remind myself is that the role of a judge and the role of an artist are not the same. One requires distance. The other requires trust.

Knowing how to critique your own work matters, but not at the expense of your creativity. Finding that balance is part of the process :)

I’m incredibly grateful to have been part of this season, and to have been trusted with a role in the journey of each artist involved.

To all of the artists who stepped into this experience, I have so much respect for what you’ve put forward. The growth that begins in a space like this doesn’t end when filming does. It continues to unfold long after.

I’m excited to see where that takes each of you!

Season 4 is now airing on YouTube. Watch here!