The Subtle Art of Being a Critic

A true critic is a seer, a discerner, an appreciator.

As a child, I really liked drawing. One day, after copying several illustrations from my favorite book about pirates, I showed my artwork to one of my parents’ friends who came to visit. I was proud of my work. He looked at it and said, “Not bad for a child.”

I was devastated. It stuck to my memory. Since then, I have bumped into several such critics at…