Honestly, does negative feedback take the wind out of you?

Uncaringmachine · Post by **Uncaringmachine** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:07 pm

You are so happy developing a new comic, drawing and writing it, then working feverishly to get it out there for everyone to see, and then you pitch it. And you get a positive review, but then.....BAM! Someone hits you with a "Your comic isn't good." Or a "You couldn't write the ingredients on the side of a can of Spam". What I'm getting at is does the negativity outweigh the positivity? I can mostly deal with it, when it's an actual criticism that I understand. What about you? Has anyone ever let it get to them seriously?

Fleakitten · Post by **Fleakitten** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:49 pm

I try not to let other peoples' opinions get to me. If they're trying to be helpful and not harmful then I'll look at what they're suggesting and see if they're right.

Rao! · Post by **Rao!** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 5:54 pm

As much as I like to scream out loud how the artist(s) are the only one who truly know the direction of a work of art, and that critism has to be taken with a grain of salt...

Pretty much any and all negative critism or leanings will always make me second guess what I'm doing, except usually I'm able to use this and genuinely make something better.

It's like, I over-react at the onset, but I quickly regain controle and use it.

Or something.

Moo.

SergeXIII · Post by **SergeXIII** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:09 pm

Depends. If I get useful feed back like

"You should try to draw smoother lines."
"Shade with darker colors." -If I'm actualy using shading

You know, things that can actualy improve the image, I like it.
Negative feedback like

"I don't like the way you draw eyes."
"Your style doesn't work for me."
"Video games are stupid."

however, serves only to bug me. I can't use it. Sorry G'nerds2000 isn't enough like Inuyasha or whatever, what do you expect me to do?

Uncaringmachine · Post by **Uncaringmachine** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:11 pm

Oops, I think I put this topic here by mistake. SHould it be in General Discussion? Sorry!

SergeXIII · Post by **SergeXIII** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:31 pm

Yeah, thats where it should go.

Glambourine · Post by **Glambourine** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 12:21 am

Whenever I get negative feedback (or just assume that someone doesn't like my comic), I tend to let it get to me for some time. Then I just get it out in the comic somehow by writing a mean-spirited strip or two. I recommend this practice.

Once you hear the same negative things enough, though, it won't get to you, it'll just be funny, and you can just keep doing whatever you were doing, comic-wise.

Dutch! · Post by **Dutch!** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:19 am

Hmm. Don't think a mean-spirited strip would really be appropriate in my case, but I can see how many others could successfully use this as therapy.

Negative criticism? My general response is along the lines of 'arseholes!'

If they have valid reasons behind their opinions and offer ideas and suggestions that could, if you agree and try to implement them, improve your comic for the better, then that's fine. If they only offer reasons why it's no good and you get the feeling that maybe, just maybe, they have completely missed the point of your work and really aren't your target demographic anyway, then in all honesty, where's the loss? Why get snotty over it?

Your ears are too big, I can't understand your writing (I do get this from time to time!), speak English (coming from an American, naturally!

), don't try to fool us by making school look positive, put in some monkeys (this one actually annoyed me, to be honest), it's not edgy enough (which usually means I need an emo gay character, I think).

Those sort of comments are the ones I can recall off the top of my head. None of them constructive or helpful, and pretty much all of them clearly showing that whoever posted them (names escape me, but I never forget a twit) clearly missed the heart of the strip as they glossed over the strips looking for pirates.

So yeah. Arseholes!

Cheers.

Godai · Post by **Godai** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:53 am

Depends from whom.

If I hear from my regular reader "Well, this strip sucked" then I feel a bit sad, if I personally found that strip nice. But more motivating.

As for others, well, I don't care. I have a personal "attendant" who made perprecionating my works his life mission, so I'm used to hate and flames :)

Kemmy · Post by **Kemmy** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 6:28 am

The first time I posted a comic online (a few years ago; my style was different then, and my drawing was pretty bad), almost the only comment I got was a two-page-long diatribe about how I drew like a twelve-year-old and needed to put in a "lot of work" before my stuff would be fit to be seen. It was all true, but it hurt at the time, and I stopped posting soon afterwards (to be fair, I was also overwhelmed with work back then and found that I just didn't have the time to keep the strip going...not that I actually have any more time now...). I hope I have developed a thicker skin since then, but I agree that unconstructive or over-harsh criticism can be frustrating.

Uncaringmachine · Post by **Uncaringmachine** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:18 am

I think even when you know that the criticisms are sometimes right, it still hurts a little. I let it get to me a little too much, but I have to remember, this is one person, and lots of other people like it, so why does that ONE negative response hurt so much? I dunno. But I will say this, it lights a fire under my booty and I will continue on until hopefully I win these people over.

Warren · Post by **Warren** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 5:49 pm

If the criticism is of the "This comic sucks" type, I ignore it. However, if the critcism offers ways to become better, it's at least worth considering if the person has something worth listening to.

I have told people to piss off, though. No need to get too stressed about things. Let it go and move on.

Yeahduff · Post by **Yeahduff** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:29 pm

I might be making this up, but I believe I heard somewhere that negative criticism has a much more profound effect on us than positive. One of the stupid things about us, I guess.

Moved.

Prettysenshi · Post by **Prettysenshi** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:45 pm

I think it takes tons of wind out of you. You could be doing something for a hobby, and then bam, someone tells you that your work isn't great, and then points out all the flaws, and whatever. It's discouraging. It's worse when they just flat out insult it and say nothing else about it. Makes you want to stop doing it altogether.

But I guess when you do get stuff like that, your reaction determines how much you want to complete the work.

Dutch! · Post by **Dutch!** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:46 pm

This is why I don't classify myself as an artist. Because I don't get all uptight about my artwork.

TRI · Post by **TRI** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:47 pm

I've often wished I got more negative feedback, personally: too often the feedback I get is either from non-artistic-type-people who just say "oh... that's nice" or "it's better than I could do," or it's from friends and family who don't want to hurt my feelings.

But I have gotten a few instances lately of people telling me they thought my proportions were off. Some of the language was sometimes less than diplomatic but in each case really they were right, and it at least made me look over those parts of my work a little more carefully.

Joel Fagin · Post by **Joel Fagin** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 10:00 pm

It depends. Trollish behaviour I find funny. I'm secure enough in my skills to be able to laugh heartily at non-specific disparaging comments. I quite look forward to getting them, in fact.

Constructive criticism which is true hurts, but I get over it quickly.

- Joel Fagin

Garneta · Post by **Garneta** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:04 pm

When I do get critiqued I take it too hard. Always have, with art, acting, anything...even when I post something in the doodles thread and someone says something just trying to help out, I always get a little peeved and want to post back, "I was only showing it off, I DIDN'T ASK FOR A CRITIQUE!!!" Yeah, I do get over it, and eventually try to use the tips...but I let it get to me way too much. I'm trying to stop stuff like that getting to me, and I wish I could just get over it and actually ASK for critiques eventually with my acting I got better at it, but I'm still not at that point about my artwork or writing.

Prettysenshi · Post by **Prettysenshi** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:05 pm

Joel Fagin wrote:
Constructive criticism which is true hurts, but I get over it quickly.

- Joel Fagin

Yes, it really hurts. Especially when you're not used to getting it. Which is why I try to be kind to those first getting it. I think the time it hurts the most is when you know they're right about the flaws in your work, and you recognize it for the first time. If I got criticism which I thought was bull, which I have many times, I dismiss it as fast as I got it.

The Mortician · Post by **The Mortician** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:51 pm

I dunno. The worse trolling remark I received was someone suggesting I take professional art lessons, get photoshop, or stop posting the stuff on the internet already. In that order, I kinda flipped out and remarked that I never asked for criticisms, and it was even noted at the time on the page in bold that critique wasn't welcomed.

I'm my own worse critique artist. Every time I draw a picture I can sit down and nit pick where I went wrong with the art. Even the writing. I sometimes, reread the archive to get a sense of what has screwed up, even the continuality wise.

Like through rereading chapter 1, I noticed I at some point decided that the main female character had short hair, then later gave her long hair. Or the rain poncho that the character is wearing looks like a jacket with sleeves. How many times can I see proportions off or the bit of pencil shading that bleeds off the pages. I can correct it but sometimes they're so small I go "eck, maybe next time".

Recently, I got fan art from someone and the first thing I do is post how terrible my story is based on the fanart. I mean, blah, I go off on myself saying: "I personally feel its a reflection on my lack of story-telling that doesn't inspire people so."

Now a days mostly when I get negative feedback its the quick to label statement "Eww Furries", but that was expected when I wrote the universe's laws. Or something like "This looks rushed", but I'm not sure how to respond to that except trying to take my time on it some more.

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Honestly, does negative feedback take the wind out of you?

Honestly, does negative feedback take the wind out of you?

I so hope my post doesn't get picked apart.