Crippled by critique--I'm paralyzed by a critic! How can I start painting again?

Since You Asked: Uncommon Advice from Cary Tennis

Dear Cary,
I have spent the past several-plus years drawing and painting and finally acquiring enough discipline and self-regard to give myself time to make art.

I have been pleased with my progress. I’ve been posting my work on Instagram, getting good feedback and building followers.

I live in a small town in the South, so social media is my link to the larger world. I look at a lot of art online (maybe too much) and follow the feeds of artists, galleries and museums that I admire. I follow a very popular critic who has a large online following. He posts a wide variety of artwork from up-and-coming artists. His followers freely comment on these works.

I commented on a piece that I didn’t particularly like and this critic EVISCERATED ME. The bottom line is that this experience has CRIPPLED me artistically. I haven’t finished a thing since this happened, and the mean voices that live inside MY head are going full tilt. I know my work is not Blue Chip “turn the art world on its ear” kind of stuff. I don’t even hope to move in those lofty circles but I do aspire to make solid, interesting work that people like to look at, and that has a place in this world. It sucks that just when I am FINALLY coming out of such a long period of darkness and self-doubt, I get punched in the face by a famous critic?

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