Unless I'm collaborating with others, opinions are the last thing I'm interested in during the creative process.

I do value opinions, no matter who expresses them, and they definitely have the power to sway me...but that's exactly why I want nothing to do with them while I'm inventing, not until a working draft of a piece is completed. THEN, maybe I'll rewrite it based on an outside opinion. More likely, I will remember the opinion that swayed me and apply it to future work.

All writers benefit from critique, but not all critique is beneficial. Because the quality of music is mostly subjective, there is no "best", so if we were to follow ALL criticism, it would be a roadmap to the generic middle, nothing resembling "outstanding". Meanwhile, creators who listen to no one run the risk of sucking while thinking they do not. It's up to each of us to decide how to respond to critique.

http://www.soundclick.com/MarkKaufman