Taking criticism

One of the attributes that defines being an artist of any kind is knowing how to take criticism.  You receive it from everywhere; from family and friends, artistic peers, media critics, students, mentors, and from your own twisted psyche.  Putting art out into the world to be judged when all art comes from a personal point of view is part of the deal.  You have to suck it up and get over it.  Sounds harsh but is truly a reality if you want to work in any artistic field.

Learning to take criticism is a work in progress for me.  My brother would facetiously call me Mary Poppins as a child because I had to be "practically perfect in every way".   I took criticism as a personal flaw that I had to fix immediately, understanding now, that I was a little girl that desperately wanted to be loved.  Anyone who knows me will tell you that my oversensitivity is my deepest vulnerability and also what makes my artistic point of view.  I call it the curse.

There comes a point in life when every thing comes full circle, as my daughter Gwendolyn has inherited the curse.   Watching her struggle through tears, punishing herself for her imperfections is heartbreaking to watch.  As I reach out, and envelop her in a hug telling her that I love her deeply no matter what, I sigh...as I'm hugging the little girl inside myself and learning to let go...