Criticism

War On Criticism

Garth Beyer

We all have our battles, our wars.

In some, people die. In others, ideas do. Hope, inspiration, and most unfortunately, art dies too.

But war has changed – universally and metaphorically.

No one can retreat anymore. An email that will destroy your career can be sent from one end of the world to the other. There’s no disconnecting yourself from the web or what gets shared on it.

Same goes for an actual missile that can literally destroy you. The only option on the battlefield is to fight, you can be pushed backward, you can even run backward, but it’s not retreating.

  • Reality check on the quote “you can run but not hide.”

Does the inability to retreat stop us from fighting wars in the East? Does it stop civil wars? Does the fact people can’t retreat stop them from killing each other? Obviously not.

So why are so many people not creating more art? Not writing more articles? Not showing people their knick knacks, their obsessions, their creations?

Are you saying that risking your comfort is worse than risking your life?

 

Stay Positive & More Of A Reality Check On Ourselves And Our Art, Isn’t It

Garth E. Beyer

 

Breaking The Threshold

Garth Beyer

Many believe that if they deliver enough work, put in enough hours, or make enough sales calls that they will break the threshold and become a star. This is commonly referred to as Gladwell’s 10,000 hours of practice theory: you are considered a true professional when you have put in 10,000 hours of your passion. That’s when you truly break through.

I would like to propose a different concept. It’s more often than not that the number of critics you have equally relates to your degree of success, of breaking the threshold.

Sometimes no news is good news, but in the realm of people talking about your art, just that people are talking about it benefits you. This includes the critics. It includes the complainers. It includes the hasslers.

You don’t break the threshold, your critics do.

 

Stay Positive & Go Get Some Critics

Garth E. Beyer

How To Cope With Criticism

Garth Beyer

At one of my current occupations, I get to give kids money to go to college. It’s a pretty enjoyable time when I look at it like that. However, part of what I do is handle hundreds of phone calls and emails a week, call it customer service if you will.

Of course, those contacting me are doing so because of a problem they have, whether it’s from a lack of information, understanding, or what it sometimes feels like, they just want to blow up on someone.

This means I’m using a special kind emotional labor from day-to-day. I have to disassociate my personal feelings with every interaction while still keeping an open heart and willingness to help.

In other words, I continuously work on not taking anything personally.

To put it in more perspective, I seldom get a call to tell me I’ve done a good job or get an email just to tell me, “Thanks for all your work, we really appreciate it.” Occasionally I get a thank you letter from a student, maybe two a year on average.

I’m human, but even if I wasn’t, doing what I do without any pat on the back or thanks could still bring me to resent my work. Of course, it doesn’t. And for one simple reason.

Each day I remind myself that while I may receive 30 calls in one day, there are 90,000 students and 200,000 family members of students who don’t call, that things are going smoothly for, that have no problems. 30/290,000 is a pretty good ratio, wouldn’t you say?

Another current occupation (in which I am most artistic) is Writer. The majority of the time when I produce an article, when I get published, when I deliver, I get criticized. Similar to my work as a Grants Specialist, those who agree, who understand, who have been given the intended message, rarely leave feedback.

It’s not often people read to connect, but to learn and understand. I don’t see it, but there are hundreds (hopefully thousands?) of people nodding their heads in agreement and understanding while reading my work.

The few people who I hear from are those who disagree, who have a different opinion (that they would rather share in relation to my article rather than doing the hard work of writing one themselves), and yes, also those who just feel like trolling.

I once told a friend that if there was a point to complaining, they would call them com points, but they don’t. However, here is a point. (two actually)

We are criticized for two reasons. One, to broaden our minds, to self-evaluate, and to be aware of possible mistakes. In other words, to learn. Two (and most important), to be given a ratio. Not having a ratio doesn’t mean you’re doing everything right, it means you’re doing something seriously wrong.

Counting the number of critics you have is meant to remind you of all those who aren’t. I’ve never been one for math, but this is one ratio that makes it easy to cope with criticism.

 

Stay Positive & No Critics Usually Means No Art (and that’s on you, not them)

Garth E. Beyer

Take A Swing

Garth Beyer

You’re going to be criticized, judged, influenced, and swung at.

There’s no preventing it and there’s no reason to prevent it. Getting swung at will help you redirect what you want to say, what you mean, what you want the audience to understand. If you look at criticism as a opportunity to calibrate your crosshairs, then you can better succeed next time (There will always be a next time.)

However, the best of the best have a tough time handling brutal criticism. While there is no preventing it, you can weaken any future criticism.

Take a swing at yourself before anyone else gets a shot.

Look at your work from a critics point of view, from your audience’s point of view, from a random-person-just-coming-across-your-work’s point of view. Dont just criticize yourself before others do, make the adjustment so no one will criticize you the same way you just did. Run a self-evaluation before you release your work. It’s only then that you can really benefit from the input from your audience. If they make suggestions to what you already know, how do you learn anything new?

 

Stay Positive & Just Don’t Keep Swinging (everybody wants a turn)

Garth E. Beyer