Dealing With Criticism

Hello Readers!

Sorry, this post is late, life has been a bit crazy lately.

~*~ 

So many of us get put down when someones says something critical about something we've done. It hurts so bad. 

As a writer criticism is a very real thing. 
It's not easy to show someone your work, whether it be writing, drawing or whatever it is you struggle with. I get it. 

I remember the morning I got an email with comments about my novel. I sobbed. It was the end. I wanted to curl up in a ball and forget my miserable existence. I wanted to forget writing. Why try if I'm just going to fail? 

Clearly, in my mind, I was a horrible writer. 
No one would ever want to read this trash. 
I was a horrible person for daring to even think anyone would like my writing. 

I had forgotten that I wrote the book in one month. I forgot that I hadn't even really touched it editing wise. It was a mess. 

That was where I needed to start. 

Acknowledge I needed to learn.

I wasn't expected to do it right the first time. That's why I was taking the class, to begin with. 

Whether what you've been told is true or not, you can still learn from it. When you get down because of what someone said about you, or what you did, get back up. 

What have I learned?

1. You will (probably) never do it right the first time.
2. You are not an expert in everything, (granted, we may like to think that... It's not true, which leads me to my next point:) 
3. You can learn something from everyone. 
4. When you are down, get up. 
5. Make it better. 

After receiving comments on what you've done, evaluate your work. How can you make it better? Was there good ground for the comments made? What can you learn? Always have more than one opinion. Different people think differently (what a surprise!) 

I'm not going to say, stick it up, do better next time, make it better, without remembering what it's like to hurt. 

It's okay to cry. It's okay to take a day or two and not look at what you were working on. It's okay. I've been there, and I had to let myself cry. 

One more thing before I wrap this up. 

You are never a failure. Okay? A failure would be someone who just gives up after trying. If you put in a good faith effort and actively try to do your best. You are not a failure. Just because you need to learn, doesn't make you a failure. 

I hope this encourages you, it's something I've been learning and I'm sure everyone is still learning it. 

Blessings, 
Mattie May