If there’s one thing this writer has learned during his time as an online writer and newspaper photographer, it’s that it’s never a matter of if your work will get criticized, it’s when. The fact of the matter is, when you put your work out there for the world to see, it will get criticized.
In the words of Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk, “It’s easy to attach and destroy an act of creation. It’s a lot more difficult to perform one.”
In an effort to help new photographers and other creatives who have started posting their work online, photographer Sean Tucker has created a wonderful video, titled “How to deal with Internet criticism.”
In the five-and-a-half-minute short, Tucker shares his personal experience with sharing his photography and video work online. As he elaborates, the thrill of posting and receiving positive feedback is almost always followed with the downfall that are critiques and trolls.
The best way you can deal that criticism, Tucker explains, is to realize that those writing the attacks are almost always people who are too afraid to step up and share their own work on a large platform.
Attacks oftentimes go above and beyond the work itself, and get personal. For times like these, Tucker explains the need to toughen your skin up a bit to look past the trolls and truly look for constructive criticism.
Whether it’s photos, videos, or text, Tucker’s advice should be taken to heart by anyone who shares work online. If you don’t have time now, save this video for watching at a later time. Better yet, share it with a friend or two who might struggle from taking online criticism.
And, as always, be kind online. It’s easy to find the flaws in the work of others. If you yourself don’t enjoy being unnecessarily criticized, don’t be a troll yourself.
