Rejection is something all of us artists have to deal with at some point in our lives. Some more than others, granted, but, ultimately, there will always be someone that will not like our style. The reasons can be numerous, single, good or stupid... In the end though, unless someone provides constructive criticism, I personally choose to see their disapproval as irrelevant.
I used to be very affected when my art wouldn't get in a group or online gallery. As I grew older and more experienced, I realized that worrying over the acceptance of one of my paintings in some unknown online community is a waste of my time and energy. I left those groups. After all, who am I creating for? Am I creating for myself or for them? Am I creating to improve my skills, learn new techniques, experiment and have fun, or am I painting to please some public composed of members unknown to me? The answer is obvious.
Not everything an artist paints is always a masterpiece. Sometimes, we even do crap. But as long as we learned something new, it was worth it, no matter what others might think.
I paint because I love it and because I want to improve. If people like my art, great. If people don't like it, I invite them to help me by telling me how they think I could improve my it, or they can walk away. I have no use for empty negative comments or rejection without a single explanation. These things don't help me grow as a person nor as an artist.
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How do you deal with art and criticism?








