For a lot of us, art is our demon and our savior. Whether we create it through painting, drawing, singing, playing, dancing, sculpting or acting it will come from either a place of great happiness, extreme pain, or all 473 million places in between - and whatever the case and wherever it comes from it is unmistakably you. However it comes about, it is the direct result of having immersed yourself entirely in an abstract location in your brain and processed it into an expression. Some people will see this expression and relate, some may be affected, and some will be confounded and not know how to process it themselves.
This is where we come to 'Everyone's a critic'.
Actual criticism is never a bad thing. A lot of times, hearing it can help you improve your work in ways that will make what you are trying to accomplish more understandable to others. I see it this way - actual criticism of art is usually from someone that honestly wants to connect with some or all of your work and is unable to; in the arena of the arts it is a chance for you adopt, adapt, and improve yourself and your work. Other times, it can be a simple disconnect between artist and audience that can't be salvaged. Everyone goes through the journey of life alone and each individual experience is unique. Some will relate and appreciate your work with unwavering devotion, some will appreciate a percentage of it in varying degrees, and some will disregard what you have to offer entirely.
What you do with this criticism, like the art that you create, is entirely up to you. However, an important skill to learn and possess is being able to differentiate between actual criticism, and jealousy based insult. There are terms you will hear hidden in the terminology your critics use that will help you know the difference. For example, if someone is having trouble processing your work you may hear them say something similar to "there is a lot here to like, except..." or "next time, maybe try..." those are honest criticisms, and you should hear them out. You have an opportunity to have a conversation, which is one of the great results of art - it gets people talking. If someone is speaking and using metaphors and exaggerated comparisons to describe your work, I guarantee that 84% of them are jealous and don't have the courage to execute what you have done, and the other 16% are just miserable fucking assholes that haven't a clue on how to be a decent human being.
That isn't to say that all people that disagree with your vision are out to get you, and this is a tough pill for an artist to swallow. Artists possess concentrated amounts of passion, empathy, and emotion. We have a fire that burns long and extremely hot.
I work as a graphic designer and it is quite common to hear "I like it, but I'm wondering if I can just change the red to green, the size of the font, the font itself, and the shape of the logo. Oh, and switch the orientation of the page for the final. Also, my 8 year old son drew this last week, and I would like to incorporate that into the design package somehow." Okay, so I don't hear that exactly, but - do I automatically think this person is an idiot that shouldn't be listened to? No. This is part of where you have to seperate art from design - this my job. I get paid no matter what, and whatever I came up with just wasn't what the client was looking for. Were they trying to run my sanity through a keyhole? Not intentionally. I'm not perfect, so on a bad day there's a chance that criticism will be met with grinding teeth, but they certainly weren't trying to be insulting.
Art is different. Art is very personal, so if someone disagrees with what you've done, it can feel like they're applying direct pressure to a chamber of your heart. It is extremely easy to fall victim to your own passion and give a reflex reaction. It might be someone trying to gain a deeper understanding which is actually a huge compliment to you.
Until next time...