The important differentiator is this: why are you so reliant on the opinions of others to keep afloat? This was a problem I had for a long time. A part of it,

The important differentiator is this: why are you so reliant on the opinions of others to keep afloat? This was a problem I had for a long time. A part of it, I think, was that I didn't really feel like I was contributing anything new - and, in fact, I wasn't. Once I started pruning myself, revising things, focusing on really creating meaningful stuff, then I found that I didn't care so much about comments: I started to make things for the sake of those things rather than for personal vanity. I think that's a big part of things too. Criticism can get you on the right track. Once you're there, if you don't leave the track criticism stops mattering. I don't know if it's a matter of thick skin - I'm a fairly sensitive person in many ways. It's more a matter of your realizing that some critics are wrong, and ignoring them to continue what you do best.