How to separate your work from your worth.
Few things make a creative’s heart sink faster than hearing the words:
‘Can I give you some feedback?’
It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been writing for six months or sixty years.
That moment can still make your stomach tighten. We tell ourselves it’s because we don’t like criticism. But often it’s something much deeper.
Somewhere along the way, many of us begin to believe that our work is a reflection of our worth. A comment about a scene becomes a judgement about our ability. A request for changes feels like evidence that we’re not talented enough. A rejection starts to sound like, Maybe I’m not meant to do this after all.
It’s an easy trap to fall into because creative work asks us to reveal something deeply personal.
Writing isn’t just what we do. It’s often part of who we are.
The problem is that when we fuse our identity with our work, every piece of feedback carries far more weight than it should.
What if a suggestion wasn’t a verdict?
What if it was simply information?
Information you can choose to use, question or ignore. That doesn’t mean every piece of feedback is right. Nor does it mean you have to become someone who never feels disappointed by criticism. It means learning to separate your value as a human being from the words you’ve written on a page. Because those are two very different things.
The writers who continue to grow aren’t the ones who never receive criticism.
They’re the ones who learn how to stay open without losing themselves.
If you’ve ever taken feedback to heart, struggled with rejection or found yourself questioning your ability after one difficult conversation, this month’s Mindset Insight explores how to approach feedback with more confidence, clarity and self-compassion.
Inside the full Mindset Insight article on Substack you’ll discover:
- why feedback can feel so personal for creatives
- the hidden mindset patterns that make criticism harder to receive
- a practical framework for processing feedback without becoming overwhelmed
- how to decide which feedback to embrace and which to leave behind
- ways to give thoughtful feedback that helps others grow as well.
Your work will change.
It will improve.
It will evolve over time.
Your worth doesn’t.
Read the full Mindset Insight on Substack to learn how to receive feedback with curiosity instead of fear, get my four-step framework to support you and continue growing without losing confidence in your creative voice.
Want support?
I’m here if you need help. If you’re not already a Momentum, Focus or Elevate member, maybe this is a way I can support you. The Momentum membership starts at $45 a month and includes:
✔ Weekly live & recorded writing and accountability sessions
✔ Monthly Creative Mindset Masterclasses o overcome creative blocks
✔ Annual 1:1 coaching focused on your goals
✔ A creative community that understands the journey
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x Meg