Some criticism is a weather report on the person giving it.

What people say about your work is partly about your work and partly about the day they are having. A harsh comment can be accurate, and it can also be a bad mood looking for somewhere to land. Sorting them takes a little time and a little distance.

Before you absorb something, ask whether the same person would have said it on a better day, and whether anyone else has said it too. Keep what repeats across people and let the rest be weather. And when you are the one handing out comments, check your own forecast first.