As a person you live off of feedback. And that feedback you get influences the way that you feel, the way that you act, and what you create.

You cannot control the feedback or lack of feedback you get from others, so you must learn how to cope with what is unpredictable and place value on the feedback you give to yourself.

When you value your own opinion growing is easier.

But this is not to say you must self-criticize. Nor is it to say you must never self-criticize. But while there is no fault in acknowledging desired improvement, the emphasis should always be on what you did well, what you did correct, and what you should repeat in the future. Building a skill isn't learning how not to do something, it's learning how to do something.

If your mindset is only negative, and solely extinguishing what you wish to not see, you'll never be happy, and you'll have no motivation to improve.

You have to attach yourself to the parts of the process that you enjoy most. Not necessarily ignore every other part of the process, but if you can find a foundation in what you enjoy, then building upon it in ways that slip outside of your comfort zone is easier.

You have to allow yourself to like what you create or you will be miserable. It will never matter how many people like what you make, if you do not like it, you will not be able to appreciate it. You have to lose shame for both skill and subject in order to thrive in learning creative expression.

You must love yourself, you must love your mind, you must love your conscious, you must love your spirit.

And that is just to be a person.

But to be a person who can create you must also love your creation.

If you become an artist for ten years and never graduate past stick figures, but you enjoyed yourself, then you've won. And nobody else's observation or opinion can take that away from you if you can allow yourself to be kind to yourself.