Based on the advertising industry but applicable to just about any artist, "It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be" by Paul Arden is a cool little book you should pick up. I think I got a used copy through Amazon for $2 plus shipping. Here's an excerpt:
Do Not Seek Praise. Seek Criticism
"It is quite easy to get approval if we ask enough people, or if we ask those who are likely to tell us what we want to hear. The likelihood is that they will say nice things rather than be too critical. Also, we tend to edit out the bad so that we hear only what we want to hear.
So if you have produced a pleasantly acceptable piece of work, you will have proved to yourself that it's good simply because others have said so. It is probably ok. But then it's probably not great either. If, instead of seeking approval, you ask, 'What's wrong with it? How can I make it better?', you are more likely to get a truthful, critical answer.
You may even get an improvement on your idea. And you are still in a position to reject the criticism if you think it is wrong."
-Paul Arden
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