Criticism is one thing that have always crippled people in one way or another. The reason why most creatives don't produce is because they are afraid of what people will say.
This fear of criticism can also make someone feel that they don't actually belong even when they are making progress. Such people fail to see themselves as the Creatives they truly are. They have that feeling of being an Imposter
What people fail to realize is that art is a function of connectivity. It is your art, be it words or Images that will make people connect with you. I know Steemians like 
Hive account@stellabelle who go round this platform on a daily basis looking for Creatives to connect with
Most people are afraid to go big in what ever they are doing because they don't want to go through the motion of defending their work against the criticism of strangers on the Internet. The truth however is that you need to go through that Stage to actually get better
It is not the critic who counts, it is not the man who stands and points out where the strong man stumbles
Or how the doer of deeds could have done better
The credit belongs to the Man who is actually in the arena, who face is marred with blood sweat and blood
Who at the best in the end knows the triumph of high achievement, and who if he fails, fails doing greatly
This quote by Theodore Roosevelt shows that, it is not about winning or losing. It is about showing up and being seen that matters
We all know that victory is not sure in everything we do, but we all know that anything worthwhile will surely take us through things that will stretch us. No matter what you do, there is always a time of testing.
Once you commit yourself to creating anything in Life, you will surely encounter adversity. Adversity is the consequence for courage
Criticisms on their own is important as they help shape whatever you are doing, but they are limit to the kind of ones you will let shape whatever you are doing. On the Intenet these days everyone has an opinion.
One of the ways to choose what criticism to evaluate is the source. If the person criticising is not in the Creative game, then you have to really evaluate the person opinion to know whether to take it to heart
We all have those periods of fantasy where we lie in bed and Imagine the things we will do to Impact the world in a better place, while all the time we have those things inside us that can effect change, but we get addicted by the comfort that comes from living out those things only in our heads
We always let things like fear, self-doubt,comparism, anxiety and uncertainty hold us down from taking the important step.
You will have to take that bold step and embrace vulnerability, because it is one of the things that you require to create. Embracing your vulnerability makes you real in the outside world. You don't put up fake facades to make people accept you
Another Impossible desire people have is to attain zero criticism for whatever they are doing.But in the creative world there are three things that are always constant and they are shame,scarcity and comparism
Shame is a universal feeling where Humans feel that they are not enough, and that they will never be able to meet up with the expectations of the public
Scarcity is a feeling that crops up from the Imposter syndrome. You find yourself saying " there are hundreds of people already doing this and most of them are better and well trained than me. What can I possibly do that have not been done before ?"
Comparism is looking at all ways your work is inferior from that of others. You constantly seek out those who are better than you and may use it as an excuse to quit what you are doing
You have to learn to reserve seats for your critics. So when you are doing something that may seem strange and futile to those around you, don't shut them out. Have a discussion with them and let them know that even if they are not really in support of what you are doing, you have the utmost belief that it will work out
One of the things that will help you push through this is a clarity of values. Determining what your values are will help you determine how you are to make life choices. I have had numerous advice from people on how best to conduct myself on this platform, but when an advice clashes with my Values, I ignore it
Another thing you need to have in place is a cheerleader, someone who will support you. A person who even if you fail will be there to pick you up and help you stand on your feet again.
I say this because Failure is neccessary for progress. If you are not failing then you are not showing up. We have all had failures, but I have noticed that all my failures in Life have taught me huge thing that ensured victory in the long run
In closing I want to let you know that the world will go on, whether you are in it or not. Critics will always be around as far as there are people. You just have to reserve seats for them in advance and do what you are detemined to do
Thanks For Reading
Image Source : Pexels
