Spit & Polish

How do you get an idea polished and refined? How do you get anything polished and refined? Effort and repeated abrasion is the typical method.
The effort part is easily understood whatever the metaphorical application. However, apart from the work and discipline applied to our creativity, our output requires abrasion in order to become polished.
That is where critics are so important. Most people lack confidence in their own abilities when they begin producing creative work. So much of the creative is an expression of who we are at the core, that it can be scary, intimidating or overwhelming to invite others to critique it. But our creativity is always changing and hopefully improving. The input of genuine critics is invaluable sandpaper in the polishing of artistic endeavour. The process of creative development can be advanced enormously with the right critical input. As a writer I know that I prefer genuine specific negative criticism to nebulous, vaccuous praise. The former provides friction. Friction forces the inertia of comfort to be overcome by the impetus of discomfort.
My Dad always said the only way to get shoes really shiny was "spit and polish" the method he learned in the Indian Army. I want to treat negative input as the spit and polish to my creative efforts, to gain all the impetus I can to grow and develop as a writer.