When Your Dogma Eats Your Homework

One of the toughest things I've encountered in my creative life is reconciling myself to my own dogmas... In my more enlightened moments, I am struck with thoughts such as "Every creative endeavor is valid because everyone who creates is responding to being created themselves."
Then I think "Wow! How pretenious is that for a girl from Iredell County?"
Or, even worse, I encounter some work of art --- whether it is a photogragh, a painting, writing or an installation --- and my gut reaction is "Egads! What were they thinking?" Which, in turn, leads me down the dark hallway to the realization that maybe people are looking at what comes out of my brain and thinking "This is supposed to be art?"
I don't like the hyper-critical side of my brain. I don't always see how it can be productive. At least I can remind myself that I don't have to like everything I see... and not everyone is going to like my work. And I don't even have to agree with everything someone does or says or produces to appreciate them or their work. And that's really the way it should be because if we all agreed, we would be an awfully boring lot.

So where is all this coming from? I've been editing and downloading images I shot this weekend. That always gives me time to let my mind wander... I've got the beginnings of a new book or screenplay (haven't decided which yet) rumbling around in my brain and trickling down onto paper. Plus I captured faces this weekend in their natural state (my favorite) and that tends to get my brain going.
So is what I shot this weekend valid and creative? I don't know right now... I think I'm rambling.