Why Critique Can Be So Difficult and the Fear That Kills Our Creativity
How to keep writing when criticism feels personal
Welcome to the 7th issue of my newsletter, Inkblots & Interpretations. In this issue, I want to explore the complexities of critique and why it can be such a challenging experience for writers.
Jeffrey’s Experience: Navigating Critique in a Writer’s Group
Let’s consider the experience of a writer I’ll call Jeffrey. As a new member of his writers’ group, Jeffrey was understandably anxious when he prepared a manuscript sample to share with the group. The feedback he received from his peers was both constructive and respectful, yet it highlighted weaknesses in his writing.
The impact was significant—at the next meeting, Jeffrey confessed that he hadn’t been able to write for a week after receiving the critique.
This scenario may resonate with many. Some may empathize with Jeffrey’s blow to his self-esteem, while others might suggest that he simply needs to toughen up and accept criticism as an essential part of becoming a better writer.
In truth, both perspectives have merit. Even the most nurturing critique can be discouraging, yet inviting critiques is necessary for growth as a writer.
Critiques vs. Reviews: Understanding the Difference
It’s useful to distinguish between critiques and reviews. Critiques, like the one Jeffrey received, may focus on works in progress and offer the chance to improve before completion.
Reviews, on the other hand, often evaluate finished works.
Both forms of feedback can provoke anxiety, as authors await judgments that range from scathing to glowing.
Why Even Gentle Critiques Can Hurt
What makes critique so risky for writers? In my previous post on Rachel Thompson’s BadRedhead Media Substack, I discussed why creatives are especially sensitive to praise and criticism, making them vulnerable in many ways.
Read more 👇
This newsletter builds on that theme, focusing on the unseen risks inherent in critique and review for writers.
Creative work is not just about the end product; it’s often a direct extension of the writer’s authentic self. Artistic creations can embody the creator’s internal world—their essence, experiences, and personal values.
The “True Self” and Creative Expression
Here, the insights of Donald Winnicott, a 20th-century English pediatrician and psychoanalyst, are particularly relevant. Winnicott’s work centered on the development of the sense of self. He believed that forming an authentic “True Self” is crucial for mental and emotional well-being and that this authenticity is vital for creativity.
Winnicott introduced the concept of the “transitional space”—an intermediate realm between inner psychic reality and external reality—where creativity thrives. In this space, writers play with ideas, craft characters, and tell stories, engaging in what Winnicott called the “spontaneous gesture.”
This spontaneous gesture is a genuine outpouring of the True Self, marked by authenticity, vitality, and a sense of being alive.
Impingement: When Critique Threatens the True Self
Winnicott argued that when a child’s spontaneous gesture is ignored, misunderstood, or criticized, the child feels a deep threat to their sense of self.
Similarly, when writers face critique or critical reviews, they may experience a squelching of their spontaneous gesture—the very embodiment of their authenticity and creativity.
If criticism feels like an “impingement,” it can stifle genuine creative impulses, prompting the writer to retreat into a “False Self.” This False Self is characterized by compliance or withdrawal, undermining creativity. According to Winnicott, a supportive environment—even one that includes measured, constructive criticism—is essential for authentic growth and creative expression.
For Jeffrey, the critique of his manuscript felt like a temporary impingement. Even though his group’s feedback was presented constructively, he felt his authentic expression—his spontaneous gesture—was not fully accepted.
This dynamic helps explain why criticism or even indifference from others can feel crushing to creative artists.
Growth Through Critique: Building Resilience
With emotional growth, maturity, and experience, the sting of critique can lessen.
Over time, writers learn to “metabolize” feedback—integrating critiques from peers, beta readers, editors, and reviewers to improve their work and themselves as writers.
Practical Application: Responding Authentically to Critique
Ideally, when a writer receives critique and feels safe enough to respond honestly—expressing disappointment, surprise, sadness, disagreement, or new creative ideas—they are acting from their True Self.
Suppressing these honest reactions or shaping responses solely to please the critic, however, reflects the False Self, where the risk of spontaneous creativity feels too great.
This is when the creative spark is in danger of being extinguished.
Pareidolia: The Squelching of the True Self in Fiction
The theme of the suppression of the True Self runs as a subtext in my work-in-progress, Pareidolia. A Tale of Illusion, Reality, & Redemption.
This story, the third in its series, follows Nicola Kitts—a brave but damaged protagonist—as she navigates the boundary between reality and illusion on her quest for authenticity, wholeness, and self-acceptance.
Thank you for reading! Connect with me here and on my website, https://jhermankleiger.com. Thank you for stopping by to read my newsletter, and special thanks to those who have taken the time to read my novels!
Every writer needs to read this! The psychology of getting critiqued and how to deal. Great work, Dr. @J. Herman Kleiger.