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Hey Ryan. I am pretty thick skinned in most areas of my life, yet it happens to me too. It is not at all unusual.
I've written many poems, had some published, and I've written music. I've never been more torn up with anxiety than when I've had the works publicly read or performed. And if it doesn't seem well received, I would sometimes actually get physically sick.
This advice isn't for everyone, but I used to use it myself when I was in a depressive and insecure phase:
When you are pouring yourself into something like this, I think you need to learn how to protect yourself. First, you don't show drafts to people who have trashed you in the past. Second, after you have done a lot of work on it, set it aside at least for a day before you show it to anyone. You will almost always see things to change. Then set it aside for another day. Keep practicing at honing the craft.
Read good writing and try to understand why the writing is good. It's OK to imitate, but do it privately. Again, practice the craft. You will find your voice.
Read the Psalms every night, from the ASV (Old King James). You will learn to hear music in words.
Find a friend, or not a friend, perhaps a professional, to review your work. Be up front with him, tell him you are insecure but you don't want him to pamper you. When you find someone you can trust, listen to the suggestions critically, carefully, and objectively . Even the best writers often produce bad work. That doesn't make them bad writers. They learn how to rewrite and they learn how to take criticism.
At some point you will get a sense of what is good in your writing. When you reach that point you can show it to others. If they make fun of it then, chalk it up as dealing with the Philistines.
Finally, and this is a real discipline. Make it a habit, every time you feel trashed, insecure, demoralized, make it a knee-jerk habit to praise God for your salvation, for your life, for creation, for words he has given us. Try to make it automatic. You won't feel like praising God at first, but it is impossible to feel sorry for yourself when you become accomplished at praising God.
I deal with depression in this fashion even now. Probably I will have to for the rest of my life. But I remember that David had the same problem, and he wrote some pretty good stuff.
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