One of the greatest problems creative people have had, is that really good ideas don’t always receive the reception they deserve. You will always come up against the grouches who wouldn’t do it that way, or think your ideas stink! Never mind the critics. They are thoroughly capable of being completely wrong! Do you think the authors of great novels were told any differently? Can you imagine what some people would have said to Suzanne Collins when she told them her idea for The Hunger Games?
Here are suggestions on handling criticism.
- Learn how to handle it, as some of it is useful. You can’t see your blind spots or where you need to grow, others can and an honest and well meant piece of criticism can be valuable.
- Stubbornness and being fiercely protective of your work can come from fear and low self esteem (self doubts). Work on overcoming this.
- “All creative work is a constant process of learning.” That process will involve mistakes, and sometimes others will pick up the mistakes you haven’t noticed. It’s up to you whether to see that as being good or bad.
This old post is an excerpt from Cate’s e-book “Unleashing Your Creative Spirit” which has just been officially released. If you have an interest in enhancing your creative potential, the e-book will be of inspiration to you.
Unleashing Your Creative Spirit was written to help you turn your dreams into reality! It explores the process and practical aspects of creativity; and has been written for artists, writers, musicians, dancers, gardeners, cooks, craft lovers: anyone trying to tap into their creative potential. It looks at the mental processing behind creativity; philosophies that drive how we think about and assess our creative worth; creative character traits; historical role models; an extensive bibliography and web link list plus more. The content is practical, not just analytical. It will give you ideas on how to move forward in your creative life.
Topics covered include:
- Capturing the Muse
- Quieting the Internal Censor
- Building A Creative Space
- Working With Failure
- Finding Direction
- Techniques To Use
The abridged ebook is available now on Amazon Kindle. The full illustrated e-course version with additional resources and exercises is only available from me, as e-book formats cannot handle it. You can order it directly from http://www.virtual-desk.com.au/trainer.html. Please scroll down the the course list and the select the buy button.
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I hope we didn’t have a misunderstanding stemming from my comment– I agree wholeheartedly with your post. If my tone did not come across I would like to correct that. Email/online gets so tricky so fast. I enjoyed the post!
Oh no, Courtney, I completely agree with you. I liked your comment. I didn’t feel like you were picking anyone to pieces. No misunderstanding whatsoever. I probably didn’t come across clearly, I was referring to the general competitive attitude some writers seem to have which results in disharmony rather than support.
I’m so glad! And I agree, there is no room for competition when there are so many opportunities– we should all celebrate one another and turn any envy into passion to keep going! Thanks for connecting, ~CCW
Yes, I can imagine that Collins heard lots of doors slammed when she pitched a dystopian story about kids killing kids. And so did the authors writing about vampires and wizards and demigods, oh my!
I’m not actually a fan of the book Courtney, the subject matter mortifies me. I imagine that having people were outright rude in voicing their opinions. If you don’t like something, OK, everyone is different, that’s OK. We need to get over picking each other to pieces.
This is such a good post. I think it’s been important for me to remember that “everyone” will not be a fan of your work. Even the most beloved works have some naysayers. I agree, it is important to constantly check in with your self esteem if you plan on being an artist. It’s the only way to keep going and to keep feeling good about your own work even if no one else does.
Thank you Michele.