Some time ago, I made a commitment to not let others define my path. Like everyone else, I enjoy receiving praise, and I react negatively to criticism. However, I realized that both praise and criticism can be dangerous, as they can influence my work, shaping it to better satisfy others' tastes rather than my own.

The influence of others can be risky if not approached with caution. Yes, we should consider feedback, but we must remain aware that those opinions may not align with who we are as artists.

This is especially true of negative feedback, which often triggers an emotional response, making us feel deficient and determined to correct our work to satisfy what is often an anonymous audience. In doing so, we risk producing work that no longer reflects ourselves but a diluted version driven by external influence.

With this in mind, it’s essential to filter all feedback and ask ourselves whether the work we create is truly a reflection of who we are. Only by doing so can an audience witness the genuine artist—whether they like it or not, they will at least be seeing something authentic.

That said, I still read comments and feel hurt by negative ones. But now, I do so with the understanding that everyone has different tastes and that the only opinion that should truly matter is my own. After all, I’m the one who will be looking at my work for years to come and must maintain that emotional connection.

So, I challenge you, as the reader, to respect yourself and dare to present work that authentically reflects who you are as an artist.

I recently came across a video below that offers great insight into the effect negativity can have on an artist and shares valuable tools for keeping those influences at bay.

Alex continues to produce quality content on photography. For those who aren’t subscribed to his channel, I highly recommend it.