on youtube, someone left a lengthy comment on one of my cover videos to tell me that they didn’t think i had successfully “put my own spin on it” and that i needed to “sing with more emotion.”
i don’t care about the opinions of random people, especially not when i believe them to be wrong, so i replied to tell the person that they were free to have their own opinion but i disagreed, and they didn’t need to watch my videos anymore if they don’t like them, since that’s obviously a waste of their time.
someone else commented: “someone doesn’t take criticism very well.”
it’s not that i react like a baby when someone has something actually intelligent and true to say about how i could improve my work. but unsolicited criticism is not something i accept. and why should i?
i don’t put art out into the world to get feedback on how to improve, or to get told all the ways that i suck; i put art out into the world because it’s fun and makes me feel good.
i don’t have to apologize for rejecting criticism under those circumstances. it’s not what i’m here for. if it were, i would say so explicitly.
when i delete needlessly mean or critical comments, it’s not because i have my head in the sand. i know that i need improvement in certain areas. but most of those areas are not important to me. i would much prefer to just have fun with my creative gifts and share them with the world without the negativity police coming in and harshing everyone’s mellow.