💔 Dealing with Criticism as a Composer

🧠 mindset Aug 21, 2023

Pursuing creativity isn’t easy. The choice to become an artist is already difficult, let alone dealing with other people's opinions about it.

And when it comes to art, everyone has an opinion.

Here are some criticisms I've received over the years (from some not-so-nice clients):

"Your music doesn't sound original."
"I only hired you because my friend said you worked for free."
"This job was supposed to be easy..."
"You're greedy for charging as much as you do."

So how do we deal with aggressive or hurtful criticism?

Here are three tips to help you manage your emotions and earn respect from your critics:

Listen (Sometimes)

Sometimes criticism is valid and worth hearing out. But never let one person's opinion steer you away from your path. Take criticism with a grain of salt. If it feels valid, it probably is. If your gut tells you they're missing a piece of the puzzle, they probably are.

Opinion Isn't Fact

Not every decision is a matter of "right" or "wrong". Sometimes things just come down to opinion. Beliefs are shaped through experience. Accept that your critic's opinions reflect their own experiences, which may differ from yours.

Control Is Power

Nothing kicks off conflict like defensiveness. When you're criticized, pause. If you need to respond, do so directly. Don't find something of theirs to criticize, and don't raise your voice. True power is poise in the face of insult and injury.

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