Learn how to deal with negative art comments as an artist.

5 Peaceful Ways to Deal with Negative Art Comments [Explained]

“How do you deal with negative comments and trolls?” – Jeanne asked me a while ago.

I’ve been asked this question a lot while growing as an artist on Instagram, and I’ve always wanted to answer it in a long and detailed manner.

If you’re still improving your art and trying to find your art style, I have a detailed post that will help you learn how to become a full-time artist.

I started posting my art and comics on Instagram sometime around June 2017, and I was very excited when I started gaining followers.

I would wake up early every day to read the comments.

Those of you who love to post your art on Instagram will know this wonderful feeling.

The feeling of being loved and praised for your work.

It’s super addictive. Am I right?

But there were some days when I would see a nasty or hurtful comment, and I’d want to crawl under the covers and stop drawing for a while. I was very sensitive and naive back then.

I’ve had negative comments from internet trolls, adults who cannot understand my comics or are tired of seeing “hair-related” comics on their feed, and even some from people I’d considered friends. Those hurt the most, let me tell you.

Although, here’s the thing.

When you draw consistently and get better at drawing really quickly, you rise really high.

Some people are genuinely happy for you, and some cannot take it.

The ones who love you and respect you will pat you on the back and encourage you to rise further. At the same time, there are others that will try and bring you down. And then some do absolutely nothing at all but hate you in silence.

These people aren’t really our concern in today’s blog post.

It’s all about dealing with hateful and negative comments.

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Ready, Freddy?

Let’s begin.

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1. The first step to dealing with negative comments – Acceptance

Now, you’re posting your art/photos on Social Media.

Therefore you are going to get both – love and hate. Because let’s face it. As an artist, you cannot please everyone. Out of every 100 people that interact with your art:

  • 90 people will love your art and rave about it. (These are the people you want to focus on)
  • 5 will like it and move on.
  • 4 will not like it but move on to something else they do.
  • However, 1 will hate on it. Not just hate it, but hate on it.

Now comes the difficult part.

Breathe. Accept it.

If you want people to see your art, you need to make peace with the fact that not everyone will gush over it.

You will get negative comments on your art as an Artist - this is how you deal with it

Time to move to the next step.

I had a terrible time in September 2017 when I was the victim of cyberbullying by another artist.

It was difficult for me to focus on much.

I had never witnessed such blatant animosity, so it was a new and terrifying experience. It got so bad, I needed to go home to my parents just for some down time.

Hence, I took a trip to Abu-Dhabi to clear my mind and find solace. And I came across a book at the airport.

This book changed my life. I read it while I was on the plane, and everything changed.

Everything.

That huge, heavy burden that I was carrying on my shoulders suddenly disintegrated into nothing. I cried, and then I laughed. Because I was finally felt at peace.

I was able to sleep again. This is the book:

This particular book- How to Stop Worrying and Start Living – Dale Carnegie actually helped me learn that worrying and obsessing over problems (that can’t be solved) was pointless.

It taught me to accept the bad and either fix the problem (if there was a solution) or move on if there was no answer.

There is a particular chapter that I love to read and recommend anyone who faces this problem to read too. It’s called “No one ever kicks a dead dog.”

Basically, it means that if people are trying to bring you down, you must be doing something right. Something that is gaining a lot of attention. 😉

It helped me understand that you can’t make everyone love you. And you have to make peace with that.
So, I recommend this book to anyone who cannot function properly if there is a problem that can’t be fixed. It covers various aspects.

This book will teach you to move on and stop obsessing about a problem.

2. Don’t take negative comments personally

People love to comment.

They love to have a say in everything. Good or bad.

Mostly bad.

Because let’s face it. It’s easier.

It is easier to type when you’re rattled up or when you’re angry. It’s difficult to type at the same speed when you’re calm, isn’t it?

You have to keep in mind that this is Social Media. Hence, people are more comfortable typing anonymously than saying the same words directly to your face.

You have to learn to how to become a more confident artist. Remember, you are drawing for yourself.

Ask yourself why you’re drawing and keep those points in mind:

  • To better your drawing skills
  • To become a better professional at your field
  • To start making money as an Artist
  • To build a Brand for yourself

This will help you stay focused on your journey as an artist.

The key to remaining calm is to…

3. Identify the type of Negative Comment and deal with it accordingly

After you’ve made peace with the fact that you’re going to get some negative comments no matter what you do and stop taking them personally, you can deal with the comment directly.

But how do you deal with a negative comment when there are so many types?

Let’s analyze each category, and I will show you the correct way to answer/not answer each one.

1. The Naïve Negative comments

These people don’t mean to be rude.

They’re just speaking their mind and trying to give you (what they believe is) constructive criticism, even though you didn’t ask for it, and it looks a little rude.

The best way to answer it is by being kind.

You don’t have to worry about these people – they don’t mean harm in any way.

Please note that all the below examples are all made up and illustrated by me in order to showcase how you should respond.

The Naïve Negative Comment - this is how you respond to this type of negative art comment

The key to replying to this type of negative comment is to be kind and, at the same time, helpful.

Help the person understand your point of view and leave it at that.

You don’t need to add additional remarks.

2. The Need to draw Attention type of Negative Comments

These comments are the most harmless negative comments you’ll find.

They’ll either insult you and praise themselves for drawing attention to their own art, or they’ll shamelessly promote themselves.

You have three choices.

One – respond in a witty and humorous way or two – leave it alone and let your followers defend your art for you, or three – delete the comment and block this person because you don’t know if they will do it over and over again on all of your other posts too.

This is how you respond to negative art comments written by people who want attention.

3. The Grammar Nazi Negative comments

Now mind you, I’m not talking about the Grammar Nazis that are genuinely trying to help you. Those types of comments are sweet and thoughtful.

This post is only about negative comments.

And these commenters will try to spot the tiniest mistake and jump on it like a cheetah on unsuspecting prey. They’re just waiting to catch you making a mistake.

So, when you do make a mistake, they’re going to be like, “Aha! A mistake!” And instead of simply pointing it out, they will write a whole paragraph judging you and reminding you why your mistake is a huge offense.

Oh, brother…

This is how you respond to negative art comments written by grammar nazis.

Therefore, the best way to respond to these commenters is to acknowledge your mistake and correct it simply.

After revealing your mistake to you, they will expect you to bow down and confess your undying love to them for pointing out your mistake.

But by keeping your reply short, sweet, and dignified, you will annoy them to their very core. And they will likely not repeat this in the future.

4. The Internet Troll

This is by far the most ruthless and senseless negative commenters you’ll find on the Internet. These types of people love to troll only to poke you and get a reaction.

Hence, they shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

Most trolls will have a very ambiguous profile picture and won’t know you from Adam. Their comments may be personal, but they will have NO first-hand knowledge about you. They want to annoy you and get under your skin.

Therefore, it is essential not to let them win.

Some trolls aren’t so bad.

They may be good underneath all that venom. So, if you feel a reply may be in order, go ahead. See how they respond. If it’s a nice, logical response, well and good. However, if it’s more anger and rage-filled words being strewed around, scroll past it.

If I know a troll is just being nasty for the sake of irritating me, I respond with a quirky, teasing reply to show them that they’ve not succeeded.

This is how you respond to negative art comments from trolls

However, if the comment targets you personally and is purposefully spiteful, it’s best not to respond. You can either delete the comment or block them or do both.

Do. Not. Feed. The. Trolls.

I cannot stress this enough.

Logic will get you nowhere with most trolls.

It’s extremely pointless to try and reason with them after the first failed attempt. They will continue to throw around unrelated arguments till you concede or break down. They want to win.

By trying to win with them, you will not only lose your morale, but you will also look extremely petty. You don’t need to stoop down to their level. Let them dig their own little graves.

Just leave them be

5. The Honest (but wrongly timed, wrongly placed) Negative Comment

Now there is a fifth type of negative comment.

The negative comment is truthful but somewhat crude. Like when someone points out a mistake, you made somewhat harshly. You can either acknowledge your mistake or choose not to reply.

Now you may ask, why not reply? The person has just said something dauntingly true, albeit a little harsh. If I don’t reply, won’t it look like I’m a coward?

No. Here’s why.

A person who genuinely wants to correct you and point out your flaw will never do it in public. They will either email you or personal message you. These people genuinely care about you and want you to correct the mistake.

But people who point it out in public want to draw attention to your mistake. They want to show the world how right they are and how wrong you are.

This is why a response is not necessary.

You don’t always need to respond to negative comments

Overall, each response/non-response will show the public what you really are.

Don’t be afraid of negative comments.

Please know that you cannot control everything around you. Everyone has an opinion and some people feel the need to proclaim their opinion on social media.

If you’re worried about what other people might think by reading negative comments on your feed, don’t.

Those who are sensible will not hit “unfollow” by reading someone else’s negative comment on your feed—those who will believe just about anything might.

Hold on to those who love you and have your back.

They are your pillars of strength, and they are what you need.

Let the others leave if they have to.

How you respond in a chaotic situation is the biggest test of character. Stay calm and always be rational. In cases where you must not respond, let your silence speak volumes.

People will respect you when you’re dignified and positive.

Before I end this blog post, I want to talk about the book, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living – Dale Carnegie.

I owe my mental peace in that year to this Author.

I’ve reread the book 2 times after that and that book taught me to let go of control.

Because he taught me how to start living and stop worrying.

And the biggest takeaway from this book is this quote that I repeat over and over again whenever I feel I’m lost in worrying.

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.

I don’t know if there is a God. But I do know that the power to change lies in our strength and willpower.

This quote changed my life.

This book changed how I operate.

And I owe a lot of my wisdom and tranquillity to this book. Read it if you haven’t. You won’t regret it, trust me.

Conclusion

It is effortless for me to write these tips because I’ve experienced all of these firsthand.

But I know practicing these is harder than it looks.

In any case, whatever the negative comment, don’t let it affect you personally. You need to develop a thick skin to become a successful artist.

The higher you rise, the more stones people will pelt at you. Therefore, you’re obviously doing something right.

Don't let negative comments about your art ruin your mood as an artist. Keep drawing and do not feed the trolls

In the end, you must remember that no one can bring you down if you’re confident and believe in yourself. No one can make you feel bad about yourself except you.

Take everything you see on Social Media with a pinch of salt.

What was your first experience with a negative comment? How did you respond?

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