Well, there's always that feeling with friends and family. :-) But, concerning harsh criticism, there's a quote by a writer, which essentially says: "When you send your work out in public, you're on a windswept plain with your pants down." In other words, you're fair game for everybody, from those who want to be helpful, to those who just sneer at everything. I think that every artist - a painter, writer, whatever - has to cope with that. And if we want to learn and improve, we better develop those coping skills.

-- erlik