Protecting your ego and improving your art rarely happen in the same afternoon.

Improvement requires looking directly at what is not working, which is uncomfortable in exactly the way the ego is built to prevent. The two goals pull against each other, and on most days one wins quietly without your noticing which. Feeling defensive about a piece of feedback is often a sign that something in it was accurate.

When you notice the urge to explain why a criticism is unfair, pause before answering. Sit with the possibility that it is true for a day, and decide afterward rather than in the moment.