Overcoming the Fear of Criticism as a Young Designer
During my first year of design school,
I had a classmate who did not dare to draw in public or even show her work to anyone. She felt FEAR…
If you too, tend to hide your sketches, while you are eager to progress,
the lack of feedback might strongly handicap your evolution or lead you to failure... While you have so much potential to unleash!
No Panik!
If you’re searching for ways to overcome the fear of criticism, you’ve come to the right place.
Let’s dive into these 6 Strategies 🙂
TIP 1. Embrace Constructive Criticism
Reverse your perspective on criticism.
View it not as a negative blow, but as a golden opportunity for growth!
You would be surprised how people will acknowledge your efforts and encourage you.
For instance, during my early days in design school,
I remember presenting an eco project of housing I had worked tirelessly on.
The critique was harsh, but it highlighted areas I had overlooked. That experience taught me to value feedback as a chance to improve.
TIP 2. Build Confidence in Your Design Journey
Confidence is your best ally.
Every renowned designer started from scratch. Trust in your ability to learn and improve.
When I first joined my drawing classes, I was insecure about my skills.
However, as I completed more projects and received positive feedback, my confidence grew.
Keep going! You will accumulate those little victories.
Sooner than you think, you will achieve big ones.
Have you heard of The Law of attraction?
The more you believe in yourself, the more you practice with focus,
the more opportunities will come to you.
Then, it will be your chance to grab them!
For example,
I always dreamed of joining Adidas, Nike, and Puma as a footwear designer.
But I was so bad at drawing a shoe…
Even though this dream felt impossible, I kept drawing shoes all day just for fun!
Then, one day my classmates started to say “Wow”.
I kept going and brought in my new designs of shoes in my portfolio.
One thing led to another, not long after my Master in Product design graduation, I joined Adidas headquarters.
Dream of reaching the moon, and you will fall in the stars!
TIP 3. Seek Valuable Feedback from Creative Experts
Not all criticism is equal. Seek feedback from mentors, peers, and design communities who provide constructive insights.
If you choose your best friends or your mom, they may tend to praise you too much.
Make sure to reach professional designers or teachers to get quality advice.
During an internship,
I had a mentor who was brutally honest but incredibly supportive.
His feedback was instrumental in refining my design approach and skills.
Yes, he reckoned my creative input. I appreciated it so much.
But he taught me how to be organized in my workflow.
TIP 4. Develop a Resilient Mindset
Understand that not everyone will love your work, and that’s perfectly fine.
Use criticism to build resilience.
A teacher told me that: “We are not defined by our work”.
Our work is just a picture we created at that point.
But yourself is in perpetual evolution. Sometimes you have a good day, sometimes a bad day. It is ok.
Think of an amazing actor who one day acted in a bad movie. Like Joker 2?
Does that make Joachim Phoenix worthless? Absolutely no.
Failure happens to anyone who keeps grinding and creating. (Only people who do nothing never fail)
This mindset helped me separate my personal value from my creations, making it easier to handle tough feedback.
It takes courage to build a “Resilient Mindset”.
Ok, my work is ‘bad” today. Tomorrow I will do better!
Like how Koreans say to cheer up in dramas: “Fighting!”
I learned somewhere that
(Sorry I forgot the source. I guess someone like Tony Robbins or Gary V.):
“Success is not about how many times you fail.
It is about how you get up each time and keep moving forward.”
5. Iterate and Perfect Your Designs
Utilize feedback to iterate and enhance your designs.
The design process is iterative, involving trial and error.
It involves a few stages of validation from the first sketches of research to the final proposals.
TIP: Replace the word “Critics” by Feedback.
During a major fashion project,
I received continuous feedback from the client.
Since it is impossible to “read his mind” (Sometimes we wish we could! Hehe),
each round of revisions and discussion brought us closer to a perfect design.
In other words, the design the client and users need.
Embracing this iterative process was key to the project’s success.
6. Celebrate Your Mini-Progress!
Acknowledge and celebrate every improvement, no matter how small.
Recognizing your growth boosts your resilience and helps you face criticism boldly.
I remember when one of my designs was shown on screen in front of my class of 150 students.
We could hear the crowd’s positive reaction, a small brouhaha of mini wow.
Even though it was a small achievement,
it felt monumental and encouraged me to keep pushing forward.
With my classmate Jeremie,
we decided to each week give our best to get hopefully featured again! (And we did!)
To Sum up!
By embracing these 6 strategies,
you’ll overcome the fear of criticism and pave the way for a successful design career.
Keep creating, keep improving, and stay fearless in your design journey!
Stay tuned for more design tips and insights!
As a Designer, when you work with your client, your colleagues, your manager… it is all about having a “visual conversation” where you use your pen to express your ideas.
Remember, no one succeeds alone! Ask for help.
People are much more benevolent than you may think.
Always keep a pen in your pocket,
and have a wonderful sketching day!
Cheers,
Chou-Tac
PS: I am preparing the next reopening of my course: SKETCH LIKE THE PROS!
The best of it is you will have an option to receive my feedback in 1-to-1 :).
Ready to show me all your drawings? : )
To be informed before everyone, you can now join the Waiting list here.
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