One of the most confusing parts of art is certainly receiving criticism. When you are working hard and finally decide to show your work to the world, no matter whether these are just your family and friends, some editor or an online community, it can be still very painful to get any critics. At the same time, you can find so many information about popular writers staying so cool when their literature was heavily criticised by professionals.
This might give you a feeling you should be really so confident of your works and stay absolutely calm not getting any criticism personally. Still, you can imagine how difficult this can be.
The meaning of criticism and rejection
You are certainly aware of the fact there is nothing pleasant in critics even if it is constructive. In reality, out mind and body perceives criticism extremely painfully. Actually, we tend to feel the same emotions and sensations, as if someone has induced any physical harm on us. You can imagine how intense it can be.
Actually, modern research has revealed that we tend to feel rejection and criticism on a physical level even if no one tells us anything straight. For example, the same feelings happen to us when someone refrains from liking our posts on Instagram or stops following us on Twitter.
What is the best way of dealing with criticism of your art?
Feeling bad once you get criticism for your artwork is absolutely natural and there is no sense in hiding your dissatisfaction, frustration or disappointment. You have a right to feel bad about that.
Even though there are so many interviews of famous people showing how great they have dealt with critics, in the majority of cases this information is just not up-to-date. Virtually anyone of them felt the same pain we have described before, yet, with time they have managed to promote their works successfully and today they are extremely successful so it is easy for them to recall those past events smiling and joking about them. These smiles and jokes can be genuine since in fact, they have managed to prove the people who used to criticise them that their art is really valuable.
Yet, while dealing with criticisms, do not rush into feeling thus bad. Try to figure out whether the critics has any meaning or not. You might find it is really constructive and you can use it as a possibility to improve your art in the future. At the same time, anything shared with you with a negative energy and an intent to offend you is an indication of psychological pain these people are going through themselves. They might indeed not appreciate your art, however, a strong outburst of emotions is always the result of their own unresolved issues which have been projected on you.