For those who have been commenting on the artistic path it is true that anyone who sings, acts, writes, plays, paints, etc. and exposes it to the public needs to have a reasonably thick skin for several reasons but the most in my view is the following. Anyone hearing or seeing your work has one of three reactions to it. 1. I love it. 2. I hate it. 3. I don't give a hoot about it. To the originator it's not hard to notice that two of those three are negatives. As an author of several published mystery novels and screen plays, photos in use at electronic email card sites that are used around the world and a big inventory of my own photos I certainly understand that. What seems to be different today to me from even fifteen years ago is the amount of negativity that comes instantly and the depth or intensity of it. Sort of like having Stephen Bannon and Breitbart commenting on everything you do. Sort of seems out of balance to me with the anger and hostility in those responses both publicly and privately..I even have had one guy here stalk me with his point of view..... and is part of what some call the coarsening of the culture, an expression of one manifestation of it. Do I think I am a great artist? Not at all...the opposite. But I do know how to listen to reasonable, rational and objective suggestions, critiques and so on. You can't give hundreds of book talks and not learn that. What bothered me is how quickly any comment can go past that and is why I have discontinued posting here. Who needs it is kind of my view. Constructive, positive feedback to improve things or suggestions amplifying, all those are terrific even if followed by: "however, it's not my style!