I know my characters need to be critiqued, they have room to improve. I put them out there because I want to know how to make them improve, but I always feel hurt when people are honest with me, like it's personal when I know it's not. How do I fix this?
Try to think of it as a process. Your characters may be bad today, but that doesn't mean they are going to stay like that forever. You're probably young and still have a lot of time to grow as a writer and storyteller, so your "bad" characters also have a lot of time to become more realistic, and they probably will if you continue to work on improving your craft. The good thing about receiving constructive criticism is that it usually gives you a good idea of what are the biggest issues with your characters, so at least now you know where to start!
And remember: Everyone starts from the bottom.
I had this problem at first. This is what worked for meβ¦.
I would keep telling myself that the critiques are meant to help me become a better writer, and that those that critique whatever I share with them (usually) want to help me grow as a writer. I also had to keep reminding myself that not everyone is gonna like my creations, but that that's alright because there'll also be people that absolutely adore my work. It can be hard to get into this mindset, but it should get easier to deal with. There is also the whole "write for yourself, not others" saying to consider; as long as you're happy with what you've created, that's all that matters.
I'm not sure if this will help you, however I do wish you the best. If you ever need or want some constructive criticism or advice, please feel free to reach out to me.