How do you deal with criticism?

It depends on the criticism. Normally I get a "you're fat" comment, but usually I don't get too many negative comments about the painting itself; except for my feeble attempt at the Avatar. However, I was expecting it so it didn't bother me. The only reason I even put it up was to show people that nobody can paint everything. 90% of my videos are a first attempt. I do it that way as a means of encouraging others to try new designs.

As far as dealing with the criticism; it depends. If it is just a blatant a-hole comment, I remove it and block the user. Normally I just leave them up and laugh them off, or make a funny comment at the person's expense.

Send them a bill or something for using your picture without permission!

If it is a place you can write yourself, then maybe do so. I do that when I get comment on pregnant bodypaints about it could be harmful for the child (and just delete the comments on the youtube video with the pregnant where the comment are something about her breasts..)

Else, if people are not happy with what you have made, then ask what they are unhappy with. Maybe you can fix it. Sometimes you can't. Like when they see that their big sister is having and want the same (after you have painted her something else, that she wanted then).

Chin up. Practice will gain you confidence. I volunteer and paint for free and as a hobby. When I started out, most everything REALLY looked bad, but, I was practicing. I never promise to do anything that I know I cant and if the canvas isnt happy with what has been painted, I offer a few antibacterial wipes and move on.

Keep face painting, by all means.

Oh I feel for you, if that had happened to me I would be pretty upset, it's hard not to let the bully's on the net get to you.
I have a pretty low selfasteem as it is, and something like that would drag on me and would take a lot of effort to not care, and build myself back up.
People are rude and the internet allows them to hide, and say things they would NEVER say to your face. The fact that you put yourself and your work out there shows you have guts.
I would assume the people commenting on it didn't know anything about face painting, had never tried it themselves and therefore would have no grasp of how hard it is. (My hubby tried it for the first time yesterday and told me he would rather stick to painting flat things that don't move...... yeah wouldn't we all!)
You should post the link to the nasty site and let us defend you and your work.
Opinionated people with no education are easily silenced when confronted with educated facts.
Stay tough, and remember small minded people feel the need to belittle your talents, they are simply jealous, and want to take your creative energy from you.
I would get in touch with the site's owner/builder/ postmaster and tell them they have no right to use your video for their blog.

I guess what is truley bothering me here is that "a friend" told you that it was on there. I don't think I would point out to a friend that she was being made fun of. Why would you really need to know?

Maybe I am just misunderstanding how you found out.

Anyway, it sounds like a bunch of immature, no talent, persons with nothing else better to do. Still doesn't make you feel better, but it takes a whole lot of cahonas(spelling--you know what I mean) to even put a video out there, so you are already better than them.

-Metina

Yeah, I wish she hadn't told me cause I was really freaked out. She knew about the livejournal group because her makeup had been on there before. I actually liked a lot of the stuff that was on there. It's like the people that run that site hate any type of creative makeup. haha.

Here is the site if you really are curious. I won't post the link of the post of me though.

http://community.livejournal.com/badmakeup

wow it's a whole community of small minded bitchy people.
How sad is that?
I would worry about what those people think, they belong to the growing number of idiots in the world that need to put others down to build themselves up.
I agree your friend would have been a better friend to not tell you about it.

Perry Noia wrote:Not everyone will appreciate your work... consider the source and ignore those that don't matter.

The people that mind don't matter and the people that matter don't mind.
...

Perry, I LOVE, Love, love your response! "Consider the source" was my late husband's favorite response to situations like this. Your answer took me back 14 years to my first husband (God rest his soul), and gave me a happy memory of him. Thank you!