For me the problem has always been the middleman. And that could be any subjective judge of my output—the viewer, gallerist, child with the lollipop, what have you... I don’t receive criticism well probably because it’s like someone saying “Hey mister, this time you don’t appeal to me”.
I’m too attached to my work, therefore I know very well its limitations. It is difficult for me to separate the human being from the art he/she makes.
So when someone calls for me do do something I don’t like to do anymore, I balk.
“We don’t like what you do now, but we like what you did then”. I imagine popular pop musicians suffer the same neurosis. “Play us the old tunes. These new ones are for the birds!”:)
I need to take thought of reward out of painting. But that means a sort of Internet age private revolution. Anonymity. Cut all ties to the judges. Paint and let posterity clean up the mess:)

Thank you so much for your words!

Greetings!