“People will always have opinions about your work” – AY comments on #LooseTalkPodcast

Nigerian comedian AY has dropped his opinion on the trending topic arising from Osagie Alonge‘s “Loose Talk Podcast” on which Osagie, AOT2, M.I & Loose Kaynon.

The podcast was recorded as a result of AOT2’s article where he referred to M.I’s third studio album “Chairman” as having a short shelf-life.

Commenting via his Instagram page, AY admonishes artists to not allow themselves be weighed down by criticism. He wrote:

Most of us do know that the final proof of greatness lies in being able to endure criticism without resentment. On the other hand they are a lot of people out there in search of an opportunity to vent their opinions in the form of unconstructive criticism.

There can be all sorts of reasons for this:

• Maybe they disagree with the choices and decisions you have made in your life or work.
• Maybe they don’t like your work.
• Maybe they don’t like you.
• Maybe they have listened to untrue stories about you and have appointed themselves judge and jury on the matter.
• Maybe they have made assumptions about you and have chosen to attack you as if those assumptions are true.

Whatever the reason you are experiencing unconstructive criticism or a personal attack, here are a few things to keep in mind to help you deal with it:

It isn’t actually about you so don’t take it personally.

When someone launches a personal attack on you with unconstructive criticism keep in mind that it isn’t actually about you at all. It is about them. It is about their poor, unhealthy and inappropriate communication style. It is about their standards and level of integrity (or lack of!). It is about their assumptions. It is about how they see the world etc. Some people will approach a situation in a healthy constructive way, some people don’t. Whatever way people communicate with you is about who they are and not about you at all. So don’t take it personally.

Unconstructive criticism has no value other than the value you give to it. So choose wisely who you listen to and what value you give to what they say. Always maintain your own dignity, integrity and personal standard. My movies have been written off by some critics, yet they made most people happy. They gave me personal fulfilment from awards, to money, and moved on to the point of making the Guinness world records.

Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots. People will always have opinions about your work, but dont allow yourself to get sucked down to their negative standards of communication.