No matter what you do, someone will always find something wrong with it.
We create advertising for our clients out of our identity development process. When it comes time to share that story with the world we always get a lot of positive feedback. That’s nice. The negative feedback isn’t as nice and we almost always get some type of negative feedback.
There was a time when that bothered me. It no longer does.
It no longer bothers me because I have grown comfortable with the notion that not everyone is going to like me. That means not everyone is going to like what I create. When I was sensitive to negative feedback it was because I mistakenly believed that my work and my identity were the same thing. They aren’t. What I create is not me. I’m connected to it. Often, deeply. I believe in it enough to bring it forth and offer it to the world. I am not my work, though.
There’s another reason why the negative feedback doesn’t have power over me and my decisions anymore. I expect someone’s going to dislike it. They have to, otherwise I’m not doing what I tell everyone we do. If we truly help someone discover who they are and how to help more people fall in love with them then we need to draw a line. That line’s purpose is to let people know which side to stand on. On one side are the lovers. The other side is for everyone else. They are the one’s who are going to offer the criticism.
There’s no perfect idea. Every one has a downside. If you want to find it you won’t have to dig too long. Instead of feeling hurt or hiding from them, I embrace them. They are actually a valuable voice.
They let me know we’re doing the right thing.
