by PC Muñoz
Creators and leaders will always attract haters at all levels. It comes with the position. In a recent professional development session I co-facilitated with another artist/educator, I had a chance to communicate a few ideas about how to deal with the hostile negativity and/or purposely feigned indifference that often comes our way when we create, innovate, and lead. It has to do with clarity, mission and action. Especially now, with tensions high and life-and-death stakes even higher, it’s easy to fall prey to some loudmouth’s verbal or attitudinal toxins. But you needn’t. Below are the three reasons haters don’t matter.
You Have Things to Do.
That’s right. You have things to create, skills to sharpen, concepts to develop, collaborators to meet, actual constructive criticism from trusted peers to consider. Every second you spend dwelling on a hater’s attempt to discredit you is a waste of your time. And you don’t have time to waste. Take action. Stay focused. Keep working.
Haters Don’t Know.
Haters don't actually know how to do what you do. In fact, typically all they know how to do is be negative. They are not experts or masters of your domain. They can be lurky, jealous bystanders or full-on parasites; either way their current focus is to bring reactive negativity to the world. Be clear about that, and keep working.
You Serve Your Mission, Not Theirs.
Your mission as a leader, as an artist, is a life-giving one. You literally will things into existence —where there was once nothing—-then sustain those things. A hater brings only useless destruction, unhelpful chaos, and sabotage. No need to join with that. Steady your mission, and keep working.
A hater’s words are easily discernible from a mentor’s critique or an instructor’s reproach. The next time you feel someone’s input might be coming from a destructive place, keep these three things in mind.
Then, keep working.
Photo by PCM
Golden Gate Park, SF, 2020