The courage of a #creative artist. #Author

June 13, 2015 by Vacen

Reading a review on your own work can be a confronting experience depending on whether it is good, bad or indifferent. A critical review that degrades your work can sometimes feel like bullying in the sense that it makes you feel really bad. How each artist deals with a critical review will depend on the person themselves. Some authors may experience low self-esteem, stress, depression, or anxiety as a result of a bad review. But here’s the thing, a review is a review. It is not the end of the world. Buildings will not fall down around you. The earth will not open up under your feet and swallow you. The sun will shine tomorrow and you will keep writing. However, you must believe in yourself and your work.

I remember an author once said to me, when you have haters and get your first 1 star review you’ll know how it feels to be an author and to be judged. Yes, sending your work out into the public arena takes courage.

I hear you asking me. Have you ever had a 1 star review? Of course I have. How did I feel? Terrible. Then using my own counselling knowledge I allowed myself to experience the feelings I needed to, and then, I moved on. And that means letting go of any negative thoughts arising from that review. Instead of reflecting on my work in a negative light I used positive self-talk to move forward. Did I learn anything from that first 1 star review? Yes I did. Ultimately, the reviewer had an opinion. I respected that opinion.

I’ve included a few reviews below on my books so you can see the difference of opinions and how they vary in type and style.