It hurts when critics tear apart something you’ve created. Unfortunately I know this from experience. The danger with bad reviews is that you’ll let them depress you or stop you from going on with your creative work.
That’s the obvious danger. But there’s another danger that isn’t so obvious:
Believing the critics--either way.
I mean believing them whether they praise your work or condemn it. Certainly the former is more enjoyable, but either way you are giving them your power.
I should note that certain critics are constructive and insightful. You’d be foolish not to take heed of anything they say that makes sense to you. However, it’s not our analytical side that puts us in danger, but our ego. If you let the words of a critic pump yours up or deflate it, you’re abdicating your own judgment.
I can’t remember who said it—maybe Woody Allen?—but the statement that sticks in my mind is, “If I believe the critics when they love me, I also have to believe them when they hate me.”
That’s not a good bargain.
(If you need help reforming your own harsh inner critic, check out my program at www.TameYourInnerCritic.com/sales.html. A voice will start speaking to you...)
[Superman image copyright DC Comics]
