When someone shares their art with you, the bravest part already happened. Be kind first.

By the time you are looking at it, they have already done the exposing part, and whatever you say next lands on somebody standing there with nothing in front of them. A careless first reaction can stop a person making things for years, which is a lot of power to hold casually. Being kind first does not mean lying. It means acknowledging the person before you start assessing the object.

Say what you genuinely noticed before anything else, and be specific rather than nice. Ask what kind of feedback they actually want, because sometimes the answer is none. If you have criticism, give one thing rather than a list.