Dealing With Criticism

Criticism is something that is hard to digest for any artist but it is also something every artist has to live with. It is impossible to please everybody and sooner or later every composer will meet someone who dislikes his or her work.

However, dealing professionally with criticism is crucial, especially in the networked world of the internet. Never ever react insulting, offended or in the way of “Well, do it better then!”. This is just highly unprofessional and will probably cause way more damage to your reputation than any negative critic.

If you actually feel like you need to respond in order to make a few things clear, then always react friendly, even if you’re biting your teeth at that time. Also, avoid acting arrogant, at least leave the impression that you’re taking the criticism seriously. There’s no use in blowing off steam, it will just worsen things so discipline yourself. Also, in spite of criticism hurting at the moment you hear it, if it is well formulated and is constructive, you should definitely take it into consideration.

You should also note that if you receive extensive criticism there was someone who took time out of his/her life to formulate their thoughts. It was not necessarily because that person wanted to damage you or your ego but rather help you move forward. And depending on who criticises you, you might be able to learn a lot from them.

In the end, praise feels great and pushes your ego, but it never moves you forward artistically.