Accepting Criticism
It may be an odd thing to be grateful for, but I’ve come to appreciate a good, swift (metaphorical) kick in the pants. It’s natural to want our tasks to come easily to us and be praised for doing them well, but as good as we may be, let’s be honest: none of us are that good all of the time. Our mistakes can be just as valuable as our successes if we learn from them, and constructive criticism is an important part of that process. Yet even with that knowledge, it can still be very hard to hear when someone, however politely, points out that your labor of love has produced a lemon.
Common responses to such criticism might include variations of a) “The peons obviously cannot fathom the depths of my genius,” or b) “I must retreat into hermitic solitude and grow my own food because I can never show my face in public again.” The more helpful—and healthy—response is somewhere in between. Recognize that there are problems that could be addressed, but don’t condemn yourself or your work. The criticism smarts, but it’s the sting that energizes us to try again, to try harder.
As an art student, I’m no stranger to criticism and have done my fair share of sotto voce kvetching following a harsh critique. Recently I had a professor who judged our work according to a standard higher than any I had been exposed to before as a student. Used to doing well, I was disappointed and frustrated to realize that I wasn’t quite as good as I had thought. All this time I had been making mistakes I hadn’t even known were mistakes. But that frustration gave me the extra push that I needed, and when I finally achieved the grade I wanted, I had worked hard for it and was more proud of it than of any other grade I’ve received.
Criticism is never easy to hear, but instead of an obstacle, we can view it as an opportunity to look outside of our routine and expand our perspective. We live our lives as works in progress. Sometimes we just need that little kick in the pants before we can receive a well-deserved pat on the back.
Photo credit: Grant Kwok
CommentsTori is a student intern who will be working with the Thankfulfor team over the summer. She is a senior at the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she is studying graphic design.
