Something I struggle with (although less now than earlier in my life) is separating the act of making from the act of judging. This might say more about my brain than humans in general, but the act of judging work too early just kills it. It kills the work and the motivation to do the work.
These days, I try to simply enjoy the act of making for the act itself. For the process, or the movement, or the collaboration. I try to withhold judgement until after I’ve made the thing. Sometimes until days, weeks or months after I’ve made the thing. Not every time, but I try.
The result is that I can look at work I shared weeks ago and think “that isn’t to my taste at all” and just feel sort of fine about that. Less “why would I make that” and more “oh, that’s interesting”. It’s good to learn about your taste through your own work without being hard on yourself.
I can make work that isn’t to my taste and still enjoy the act of making it. I can share the work with others knowing that it’s not to my taste, because I’m not committing to anything by sharing it. There’s no value judgement attached to it. I simply like to share what I make.
It almost feels meditative to me, and I try to quiet the critical voice and turn up the volume on the curious one. If I don’t like the work, I can try to observe it and really consider why. If I like the work, I can do the same thing (and it’s helped me to study the work I like more deeply).
It’s something I’m still working on honestly, but I’m trying to do it more, and it’s helped me to build confidence in the work I’m making. To enjoy the act of making more. To loosen up, lighten up, and just feel the work come through me. Slightly more body, slightly less brain.