Have you ever heard the term “creative professional”? I always thought it was reserved for filmmakers and graphic designers, photographers and authors, artists. I’m coming to grips with a simple truth:
I Am A Creative Professional
(you probably are too)
Everything I do is about creating. As a professor I create lesson plans, lectures, homework assignments, quizzes, tests. At the end of the day, I create an experience that is intended to take a person with little or no experience in an area to a place of understanding.
Outside of my “day job,” I create as well. I write blog posts, design Instagram images, capture my experiences via SnapChat Stories, and live stream on Facebook.
There’s just no getting around it, I’m in the business of creating things (And you probably are too).
Where There Are Creators, There Are Critics
My work is judged by everyone who touches it. Students decide whether or not I’m creating effective lessons, choosing the right homework problems, designing effective exams, and assigning grades that measure their learning. My supervisors judge these things, too. At a higher level, classes I create are judged by administrators. And even now, you’re judging whether or not this post is captivating enough to continue reading.
(If you’re still here, thank you for sharing moments from your precious life with me)
Criticism Isn’t Bad…
… as long as it’s constructive. If the goal of the critic is to help me improve at my craft, then I want to hear every single suggestion they’re willing to offer. Please! Tell me what you think. I want to grow every way I can.
Sadly, most critics I encounter have more sel-serving motives. The worst ones seek to control, increase their power, and even gain advancement by diminishing the work of those around them. They attempt to look good by making everyone else look bad.
The Difference Between Criticism and Constructive Criticism is EMPATHY.
That’s how you can tell. If the person critiquing my work is trying to empathize, see things from my perspective, be kind, acknowledge that I put my heart into my creation, then I’ll at least hear them out.
But we have to be careful. Those who seek to tear us down will say anything to break us. They aren’t here to help. We might learn something from them, but it’s never the lesson they’re trying to teach. Overall, we have to protect our creations from them. When you meet this critic, repeat after me:
