I just deleted a series of tweets I wrote about a one-star review I received on iTunes that called me a moron and a bad writer. A kind-hearted Twitter user suggested it might lead to dog-piling, which I don’t want.
If you want to leave a negative review for Girl In Space, that’s totally fine! My show is NOT for everyone, and I understand that. In fact, I learned a LOT early on from several thoughtful critical reviews, and changed my acting and the tone of the show accordingly.
Reviewers and critics are IMPORTANT — they help us to become better creators.
But name-calling doesn’t help anyone. And it’s not a good look.
I realize I might sound a little sensitive — like COME ON, SARAH, GROW A THICKER SKIN! — but I have also faced a lot of verbal abuse in my life. After a while, it can begin to define who you are.
One of the messages of Girl In Space is that NO ONE CAN TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE. Whether they’re literally branding your skin or calling you ugly, stupid, or useless, they do NOT have the power to define you.
So when someone gives me a label — even a childish one — in a public forum, my immediate, knee-jerk reaction is to fire back with, “While your words hurt me, you do NOT get to define who I am.”
I don’t really know right now if this is a good response or a bad response (or… you know, mature or immature), because I’m still growing as a person. But it’s honest. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If you’re a creator, chances are you WILL receive negative feedback — both of the constructive variety and the trollish name-calling variety. Your job as a creator is to assess the meaning and worth of the criticism, learn from it if you can, and keep creating.
Plus, as I’ve said before, the things you create are NOT for everyone — they can’t be. Everyone has different tastes, and even the works of Hemingway and Austen have one-star reviews out on Amazon.
At the end of the day, you can’t control what people say about your show, and (despite what mindset gurus might say) you can’t control that initial gut-punch of pain it brings. You can only KEEP CREATING. So shake it off, gorgeous, and shine.
Listen to Episode 066 of the Write Now podcast, “Critics & You” here. >>
Hey Sarah,
Thank you for your courage, tenacity and the wealth of knowledge that you bring to the world of podcasting. I am a new podcaster and I am reading other podcaster’s blogs and content to get a better insight into the world of being a podcaster. Looking forward to reading your post and sharing in the space. If I can contribute in any way please don’t hesitate to reach out. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Tiehu — and welcome to the podcasting world! 🙂 -Sarah