First, I suspect I might've delivered some of the criticism you're talking about, so please believe me when I say I don't mean to be discouraging! Quite the opposite, in fact. I think I speak for many of us when I say there's no point in critiquing a work that never had any hope whatsoever, so the fact that someone took the time to point out things that didn't work so well is a sign that there is something worth improving—if not in the present story, then in the next one.

Second, it's worth keeping in mind that the first step to getting good at something is being bad at it. {= ) As someone who grew up in a culture of perfectionism, it's something I don't find it easy to internalize myself, but it's true. Anytime you try something new, unless you are very lucky, you have to be willing to suck at it for a while in order to learn how to stop sucking. Even people with natural talent at writing won't improve without practice. Remember not to compare yourself, a new writer, to writers who've been practicing for a long time and have had the benefit of lots more critiques. {= )

Third, it's also worth keeping in mind that all critique is basically someone's opinion. They may represent a well-informed or widely held viewpoint, but then again, they may not. It's important to learn when to heed other people's advice and when to keep your own counsel, and that comes with experience.

Try to think of negative critique as just another tool in your toolbox. It might be something you can use for the current piece of writing, or it might be something you can use later, or it might be something that doesn't work for you at all. It might take you some time to figure out which it is, so be sure not to throw it out just because you're not sure what to do with it right away.

~Neshomeh