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Easier said than done, right? Especially when you’re criticized for doing it.
Lots of adults want to learn how to play a musical instrument, but hang it up when they realize they have go through a period where they’re going to suck before anything even remotely sounds good. People will hear them, roll their eyes, and they’ll give up and quit.
I totally get why Henry Darger never showed his artwork to anyone. With no education, his art was primitive, which of course was part of its charm. I’m sure he knew he’d be humiliated for doing it, so he spent his entire life writing and making collages illustrating the world in his head.
He was compelled to create, and I can only imagine how fulfilling it must have been for him. Why be bothered by negative drama when you can just create cool shit? Even if you’re the only one who thinks so. ESPECIALLY if you’re the only one who thinks so.
Maybe Henry was right. Finding an audience and selling your art is a completely different endeavor from creating it. If that’s the route you want to take, be prepared for negative criticism and complete indifference.
Just don’t let it kill the thing you love.