SELF-CRITIQUE

is a person's ability to critically assess themselves and their actions, to see their shortcomings and admit their mistakes. Since childhood, many of us have heard about the need to assess ourselves and our abilities, and if possible, to correct our mistakes. And indeed, the power to recognize one's strengths and weaknesses can help a person grow, achieve more, and avoid repeating old mistakes. 

For highly motivated people who rarely stop at difficulties and obstacles, a critical look at themselves indicates areas for future development and ignites interest in new achievements. But there are also those who experience strong unpleasant emotions from self-criticism and make great efforts to prove to themselves that they are actually better and can do more. And then there are people who become scared or upset whilst hearing constructive criticism, causing them to experience severe stress, and little sense of progress towards achieving their desired changes. 

On one hand, constructive criticism and self-critique act as an incentive to learn and develop. And this is a good thing, after all, if an artist does not grow — does not see their own mistakes and shortcomings — they will inevitably begin to degrade. And to prevent this from happening, you need to regularly develop new skills and facets of art, learning new techniques, and improving on what you already have. On the other hand, too much constructive criticism and critiquing can lead a person into a place of feeling stuck, which may provoke a creative dead end.

While receiving constructive criticism from outsiders, it is worth posing the following questions: who is criticizing you, and what are their intentions? What has the critic themselves achieved in life? If we have before us a person who has much more experience and wants to help with advice, suggestions on what to improve, and how to improve; would it be reasonable to take offense and ignore the offered help? Unlikely. Rather, one should be grateful for such help and the opportunity for growth. But there is also a completely opposing situation: when a person who is much lower in level and, possibly, incompetent in the matter, warrants criticism. What motives are they guided by? The desire to rise at the expense of humiliating another person? An attempt to make you doubt your capabilities? It is these types of advisers that you need to stay as far away as possible from.

You may ask, 'is it ok to self-critique through comparison to others'? Yes, but ideally, if you hold a desire to compare yourself with someone else, the goal shouldn’t be to see who’s more talented; but instead to adopt something for yourself from their art, a new component that can be used in your own work. I'm not talking about plagiarism. This is definitely a road to nowhere. I’m referring to inspiration — the noting of interesting or unusual techniques that you can incorporate into your own work — that is an opportunity for creative growth.

AT TIMES, Criticism and Self-criticism have been Known to be Extremely Transformative. WHY?

Fears are part of creativity. Some overcome them and make them the driving force of their work, while others get stuck in self-doubt. Claude Monet — the founder of Impressionism, and the master of form and light — did not have the highest opinion of his paintings. It is believed that Monet began to develop his technique in 1872, having already been somewhat beloved and famous. But his own depression often led him to doubt his talent, and he was so often dissatisfied with the result of his art that he destroyed numerous paintings — by burning them, cutting them, or kicking holes into the canvases. The number of canvases that underwent such a fate is estimated at 500 pieces. His paintings, called "wonderful antidepressants" by the impressionist specialist Philip Hook, were often created by the artist while experiencing real pain. Thus, self-criticism can be the best tool for development, simply because no one but you sees all the depth and nuances of your life.

HOW CAN YOU Practice Healthy Self-critiquing in Your Life?

Practicing self-critique begins with assessing how you respond to self-criticism and whether you can learn from it or not. To critique yourself correctly, stay honest and respectful towards yourself and the mistakes you make, every person experiences them. Critique, but do not develop guilt; pause for reflection, but do not become stagnant.  Push forward, focus on self-development and improving yourself as a person; and most importantly, continue to ask yourself whether your self-criticism helped or hindered your goal to achieve. 

Self-critique is not self-hate. To stay positive and avoid sinking into low energy mindsets, you need to start by eliminating the use of meaningless phrases like “my work is bad", or, “I'm hopeless”. By continuing to engulf your thoughts in negative self-talk, you risk becoming disoriented, or eventually, quitting altogether. I believe that if you want to develop, learn mindfulness. The world we live in has robbed us of the ability to truly appreciate the little things that we should be grateful for. Mindfulness helps us to notice details that we ignore in our daily hustle and bustle. We often make mistakes because of our carelessness; mindfulness makes us calmer and more productive. We gradually begin to better understand what is happening around us, as well as within us, and we deepen our understanding of our emotions and physical conditions. Here are a few simple things you can do every day to become more mindful: stay focused and careful, start meditating, pay attention to yourself and your diet, get more rest, and go for a walk in the fresh air. Yes, this requires courage, but everyone has the capacity to be wildly courageous.

All in all, there is one main theme in this conclusion — value the reasonable advice of others, value yourself, and value your abilities! Don't let spiteful people influence or break down your self-esteem, believe that you will succeed and move towards your goals, no matter what! Never give up and you will no longer be afraid of any creative crisis that comes your way.