I just started an MFA program in Creative Writing for poetry, and a main component of one of the courses I am taking is participating in workshops where I provide feedback (I prefer the word feedback to criticism) on the work of my classmates, and they provide feedback, which I try not to take as harsh criticism, on my work. Having someone look at my work, my heartfelt, overflowing-with-emotions work, has proven to be even more difficult than I expected. I’ve always struggled with confrontation, shying away from it whenever possible, and in some weird way, I am being confronted about poems on which I have worked so diligently and hard to produce. Last week, I submitted my first set of poems, and I am pleased to say the feedback was not as severe as I thought it would be; nevertheless, the differing opinions and suggestions and the picking apart of my poems line by line is a lot to process. It has left me mentally depleted pondering over what feedback I should accept and which ideas I should discard. Having a support system is wonderful, but how do I not lose my voice as a writer and not simply conform to what others think is best for my work or my writing style?
What’s interesting is that this dilemma has got me thinking about an ultimate workshop: discovering me. An internal conflict I still struggle with in my everyday life is wanting the approval of others and upholding an image others deem appropriate or noteworthy. My poems cannot and will not be everything to everybody. Some people will be quite fond of them, and some people will loathe them. Therefore, trying to figure out how I should revise my poems or if I should even revise them at all is a pinnacle moment leading to a huge turning point for me. I am being forced to make decisions on my work, and there is no way around it. As a result, I am discovering more about me and what I think is best based on other people’s insight. This line of thinking extends well beyond my poetry, and with each passing day I am finding out a little more about myself, what I like and dislike and trying to figure out how to filter through the beneficial thoughts of others without getting caught up in what they think is best for me. It will be a lifelong workshop, but I can already sense some growth occurring.
All the best,
Tanya
Journey of Anonomz 
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