When visibility goes well (when something you make gets a positive reaction like a laugh, some critical-acclaim, an award), confidence skyrockets. Someone else’s belief in you, especially when that person is a stranger or ‘industry professional’ with no vested interest in your wellbeing, provides confidence like nothing else.
But, when visibility doesn’t go well (a bad review, negative reaction, being overlooked or going unnoticed for awards), confidence can drop like a hammer falling from the sky.
The skill to learn (and yes, it is a skill) is to learn to have faith in yourself; a recognition that your work has value to you and you alone first. Maybe your work helps you to understand yourself better, it may help you process some emotions, it may entertain you, it may teach you something and help you improve your craft. Perhaps if we focus on these things, then by the time anyone notices the work we’ve made (good or bad), we’ve already won.