Tips on how to deal with Criticism

“Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots.”
–    Frank A. Clark

First thing you need to know about criticism is that “Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.” – Benjamin Franklin. So do not take it personally as criticism is a part of our life and we must accept them, even though they sometimes can upset us or make us feel hurt. You should keep in mind that if you are doing something creative, you are naturally an open target for criticism and rejection. If you are working for a different person such as a client you might work hard and do the best you can but at the end your creation will be rejected or highly criticized. But you should also know that if someone does not like your work and criticizes it, this would not mean that he does not like you.  Here are some tips on how to deal with criticism and rejection.

• Do not be defensive – You should not react immediately to it defensively and take it personally as you will miss the point. Be self aware and not aggressive trying to immediately prove your critic wrong.
• Anger – If you are emotional while taking criticism, your reactions will be less controlled. You should control your emotions and not be angry. Keep in mind that your work being criticized does not have anything to do with you personally. While you are angry you might say things that you will regret in the future and you will not learn anything about your work in a different person’s perspective. If you want to make it big, you will have to be able to take criticism, listen to it and apply it in your work if reasonable.
• Asking for feedback – Ask people for feedback about your work and be prepared to deal with criticism. After hearing the criticism see if the critic has all the information and it is accurate and unbiased. Ask the critic to explain further and how he/she gathered the information. Consider the possibilities of misunderstandings. Take some time to think and make sure to be calm. It won’t hurt as much if you as for the feedback yourself.
• Once your discussion is over think over about what was said during the conversation and try to see if it can actually help your growth.