December 02, 2022

Handling Haters

14 minutes

How are you currently handling haters?

I ignore them

I respond to them

I believe them

I am one

At some point we are all likely to have some haters. Having haters is unpleasant, but if no one is being salty or argumentative with us about our creative work, perhaps it isn't our best work. It is nearly impossible to create something that everyone likes and that is okay. However, having individuals share a different perspective with us, even if it isn't one we appreciate can be beneficial.

Different types of haters require different strategies.

Trolls -Ignore individuals that have a pattern of just trying to frustrate you. Their goal is upsetting you in as few words as possible. This is a bad situation because the more time you spending thinking about what they said you lose out on productive creative time.

Abrasive - Respond cautiously to abrasive individuals. They may genuinely want to give you feedback that could be beneficial for refining your work and making it better. But, abrasive individuals usually don't communicate the feedback in a way that feels helpful. Take a deep breath and ask for clarification.

Long Con - You may never truly known if someone is playing the long con on you. But typically individuals playing the long con celebrate your work and give you positive reinforcement. However, some of them may not be doing so because they truly want you to succeed. This could mean they are talking badly about you or your work behind your back or just not really being honest with you.

Internal - You must remember that you can be a hater of your own creative work. We all struggle with our work and our process, especially in a world of instant comparison with the entire world of creatives. Reframe what your goals are and focus on pushing beyond the feelings and thoughts that may limit your creative work or passion.

Most importantly, be proactive about asking for feedback and remain open-minded. Ask for honest feedback and be willing to follow up for more context if the feedback received feeling like a personal attack. Some people don't have a lot of practice giving feedback in a way that feels positive.

...more