This isn’t the only time this has happened. There was an email I got the last week where, a reader, without context or even the courtesy of more detail, said that my design on Tedium was just too much compared to other newsletters and it discouraged him from reading. No constructive criticism, other than basically telling me to turn this design I had spent years perfecting into another Substack. When I sent a reply asking what, specifically, was the issue, they didn’t get back.
I think when the right pins are pricked—particularly, when it’s something you care about—you might find yourself questioning everything. And it can honestly lead you into a mental tailspin with the wrong mixture of time and focus.
I think it’s important to note that criticism often bubbles up because people are looking at things from their perspective, rather than yours. And as a result, they might have thought processes going on that, for example, might lead them to approach things from a different perspective from you.