<p>everybody knows it’s tough to be any of those above, and most times it’s not even about the skills you’ve got. sometimes it’s about how thick your skin is in order to survive. i can get reallly sensitive about my work. like, if someone compliments me, i either get kinda arrogant, or think the person is lying. and if i don’t get good remarks, i get pretty defensive/offended. i think this is the hardest part of being an artist, just to deal with your own issues, and trying not to take people’s comments about your work personally. but maybe we get so defensive is because we really do care about it. i mean, if i were to fail many math and science tests, i wouldn’t get as offended, because i probably just don’t care as much. i just want to know tips/techniques/books/sites/right keywords/etc. to find out how to not take comments about your work so seriously. thanks.</p>
<p>Expose yourself to as much criticism as possible. Once you get used to having people look at your work and judge it, it will become easier. Granted, many people never find it easy, but you need to work on it. Before reacting passionately to any piece of criticism, take a deep breath and try to see where they are coming from, and thus turn it into constructive criticism you can grow from. This is a talent too few people have. </p>
<p>Basically, take criticism seriously, but not personally. Good luck!</p>
<p>yeah, a lot of time i get really involved in a piece, and then i look back like a week later and ask myself, what in god’s name was i thinking…haha</p>
<p>thats my worst quality when i review my own pieces. i can never like take pride in something i have done.</p>
<p>haha</p>
<p>to be or not to be that is the question whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them… ahhh… the fragile and tender soul of the artist…</p>
<p>what exactly do you mean by ‘artist’? do you paint? write? sing? compose? act?</p>
<p>i write and act.</p>
<p>well, i find that writing and acting are easier to criticize.
at least with painting, drawing, etc., the subject can be interpreted many different ways. acting is difficult to do that, not as much for writing though.</p>
<p>I find that the people who put out the best work are proud of their work and what they do.</p>
<p>Most of the students in my art class are self doubting. They don’t think their work is very good, and they don’t put much effort in as well. </p>
<p>I never have had this issue. I’m proud of my work, and it’s good (not to brag) because I put in the effort, and I am confident about my abilities. </p>
<p>I find that once the other students are encouraged and they build up their confidence, they start producing quality work.</p>
<p>But of course once you recieve bad criticism it is a slippery slope. You stop spending as much effort because you don’t think your work is as good.</p>
<p>Your post is interesting.</p>
<p>For a humorous answer to your question, I recommend that you read physicist Richard P. Feynman’s autobiographical essay, “But Is It Art?” from his book, *“Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!”<a href=“W.W.%20Norton%20&%20Company,%201985”>/i</a>. In the essay, Feynman relates his impulsive decision to learn how to draw, which leads to Feynman being commissioned to do a drawing for a massage parlor lobby, followed by a CalTech exhibit of his “collected works,” and then to his invitation to participate in a Los Angeles County Museum of Art project as an instructor/critic.</p>
<p>The essay will give you Feynman’s insight into some of the psychological aspects of being an artist.</p>
<p>If you don’t want to wait to buy or borrow Feynman’s thoroughly enjoyable book, you can find an online version at Scribd.com (scribd.com/doc/20232/-surely-youre-joking-Mr-feynman). “But Is It Art?” appears on pages 121-131 of the online version. Enjoy!</p>
<p>Best wishes.</p>
<p>one of the biggest frustration I see in my Ds artistic endeavors is that she is interested in so many sides to art- fashion, interior design, photography, drawing, marketing, etc</p>
<p>and think of your art like food- I may go to someone’s house and they serve me something with lots of olives…ewww…can’t stand olives…does that mean the dish is bad, not at all, it means I don’t like it…but others do!!!</p>
<p>I find ballet tedious for too long, but does that make it bad? nope</p>
<p>…I LOVE orchid shows, but my H goes into a coma…My friend loves romance novels, but I dig mysteries</p>
<p>So, think that sometimes, its a matter of a person’s taste, not the quality of what you have done and when you let go of trying to figure out everyone else’s taste and focus on what you love, you will be happier…so when someone doesn’t respond with the enthusiasm you hoped for, don’t hold onto that…</p>