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Hi October, welcome to the Forum! I really like your painting here.
The thick skin question is a good one. I think that commercial success comes to those who want it the most. Not necessarily to the most gifted, not to the most intelligent, not to the nicest, not to the most deserving. There are a lot of very good artists who never quite achieve liftoff. It's not all their fault - we live in a culture that provides heavy weather for portrait painters. Here's a quote from Julia Cameron:
"Center stage belongs to those who are willing to move there, some talented and some not.... We need to say our own names as artists. When we do, we feel self-respect."
Remember, too, that everything in life depends on how you choose your response to it. For example, I tell myself that rejection builds my character. This may or may not be true, but that's how I choose to respond to it. The worst thing that can happen is that somebody can make you stop painting, and you have to make a deal with yourself that you won't. If you don't stop painting, then you improve.
I hope I don't come off as pompous here. This is part of the pep talk that I give students when I teach. Gaining confidence is critical for an artist and I think one needs mental tools as well as technical skills to be a good painter.
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