Today, I’m talking about something that often happens when you’re a painter and you exhibit on the Internet, and more particularly on social networks.
In fact, I’ve received several times negative comments, more or less violent, absolutely non-constructive. And with this in mind, I felt the need to talk to other painters and get their feedback.
The day I received my first negative comment
I must confess that the first negative comment I received really hurt me at the time.
It goes back a few years, a person on my Facebook came up to me and told me that “I was a crook, that I did chores, and that her 3-year-old daughter was much better at painting than I was”.
Knowing that I’ve always put my “guts” into my artistic activity and that I did it from the heart, I couldn’t conceive of the fact that someone could be so unkind without providing the slightest constructive argument.
A recurring phenomenon among artists
I asked around a few artists to see if they themselves were victims of this phenomenon. And I was both surprised and reassured to see that 100% of the artists questioned had, at one time or another, been the victims of negative comments.
Why the negative comments?
So you’re probably wondering what motivates these people to write negative, unargued comments.
The will to harm
On the Internet, you’re exposed to a lot, and it’s easy to come across all the “twisted” people out there.
Easy to hide
On the Internet, it’s very easy to hide behind a false identity or not to sign in.
Jealousy
Do your homework and find out who’s behind those famous comments. And you’ll often find that they’re also painters, and generally have nothing to be ashamed of…
It’s sad, but the fact is that jealousy often motivates this kind of attitude.
What’s the right attitude?
Here we are, you’re going to say to me: “but what do I do then?”, “do I answer or not?”
In the heat of the moment, many will want to respond immediately. I don’t think that’s a good idea, because you might end up regretting what you say to the person. Wait for the temperature to drop.
To answer or not to answer?
I think not answering is a good solution (even if it makes you itch).
What I like to do is respond, but with as much control as possible. Show that I’m unaffected and calm. This will destabilize the person concerned! 😉
Constructive criticism
Be careful not to confuse negative criticism with constructive criticism.
You need to hear and accept the fact that you can’t please everyone, and that’s“normal”.
So if someone doesn’t like your art but argues with you, offers advice, etc., you have to accept it and be, I think, grateful to that person. This is a sign of maturity and open-mindedness on your part.
What about you?
Have you ever had to deal with negative comments? If so, please share your comments with us in the negative.
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