I wanted to respond to this when I saw it on tumblr

[Zphal]

Quote:

when an artist wants to show you their art

or a writer wants you to read what they’ve written

it’s quite often an expression of trust

because a poem or a story or a painting are often things that come from the heart

little pieces of the artists themselves

and if they’re willing to share it with you

you should appreciate it

Except they never appreciate it

they'll be 'too busy' or 'not care'

and if you can get them to somehow read it by standing over their shoulder and watching them

they get done and say

'okay' or 'that was good' dismissively

they take your heart and shatter it, invalidate your entire existence

yet you'll always try again even knowing it will always be the same



NOW GET THE ******** OFF TUMBLR IF YOU'RE GOING TO PREACH TO THE ******** CHOIR YOU STUPID ********.  

[spearquest]

i would think it all varies with the person.
as the artist, people put their work out because they know it's good or just want some acknowledgement. the fact that someone even bothered to look at something and actually stayed around to give some half-assed response might speak volumes to someone who isn't sure their work is even worth doing.
as the viewer, if people pass over it, they may look at it or they might have an expectation of what they will be seeing beforehand and it just doesn't meet their interest. that would give rise to a 'not caring' attitude. if they do bother to look, their response could just be nothing more than an attempt not to make the artist feel bad. which can easily border on the line of patronizing. if they're put on the spot with either mental state of no interest or simple pleasing, that can just add to the stress factor and most assuredly lead to a dismissive answer.
personally, i think if anyone feels the need to let their work be shown, emphasize critiques or honest comments are wanted. that way it implies a natural filter to those that would just waste your time and theirs with unneeded or unwanted responses. it's like shopping. you know you're going to walk around a store and not purchase anything unless it attracts your attention or interest somehow.