Being seen is uncomfortable because imagination can no longer control every response.

In private, you can imagine any reaction you like, including good ones. Once the work is out, real responses replace imagined ones and you lose the comfort of the version in your head. Some of the discomfort of being seen is simply the loss of that control.

Notice how much time you spend imagining reactions before releasing something. Ask whether the imagining has ever been accurate. Actual feedback is usually less dramatic than either the hope or the dread.