Constructive Criticism

That's how constructive criticism begins, more often than not. Naturally, criticism is not singularly negative... At least according to the dictionary. If you're a human being who had put their heart, soul, sweat and blood into what might possibly the best thing you've ever created by yourself, criticism is Lucifer incarnate. Okay, that may be an exaggeration, but the concept remains true. Even "constructive criticism" can hurt.

I call constructive criticism a contradiction in terms, because it is to me. It may be constructive in that it helps to improve one's skills, but simultaneously the "criticism" part inevitably takes away a little part of you. You may not realize it at the time, but that little part that's being shaved off may be better off shaved. For example, if you sculpt a lovely bust of Adonis and take pride in that fact that you gave him a bowl cut, you may not be too happy when someone tells you the bowl cut was a horrible idea. From then on, you may not be so inclined to liken a mythological person with The Beatles. (Unless if that was an intentional quirk to give your work originality. Then you may be onto something.)

No one wants to hear that their skills as a writer, musician, painter, etc. is mediocre or flat out terrible. But, as art goes, no one starts out a genius. Not everyone remembers this, and when they blatantly smash another person's work for the sake of being a "hard critic" they fail to look for the potential genius in that raggedy piece of work that will one day blossom into the next Lord of the Rings, John Williams, or Leonardo da Vinci. So, if your critic decides to be mean, if falls upon you to see your own potential.

The key is to not get discouraged, no matter how mean or crass the criticism is. When someone says, "You just don't have it, dude." Don't swear off the thing that you love to do. If you truly love creating, in any medium, keep at it. You will improve with every little bit that you do, and one day you will have the satisfaction of proving your critics wrong. Or, if the critic offered some of that "constructive" stuff, you will prove to them that you didn't shrug off their help and that you were willing to evolve and grow. Even if your feelings were rather squashed for a while there.

The point is this: Make certain you know how to sort out the "constructive" from the "criticism." Your feelings will get hurt. I don't know any way around that. But, if you accept advice from others and strive for improvement, your satisfaction down the road will make you laugh at your moments of self-pity that seemed like the end of the world.