Hey. I was wondering how you guys handle having that creative spark not going out slowly due to burn out but getting it smothered by a very nasty encounter that leaves you questioning why even bother any more?

Wait for something to rekindle it. That's all I can say…
Being open to things is a start.

Depends on the nature of the encounter that made you question it I suppose. Does the encounter in question really have any power? Or should you let it? Sorry that might not be very helpful but you can't let such things influence you too much. In a hypothetical situation, you put out a comic and someone tells you it's a load of crap. Do you then assume they are right and everything you do is crap, or do you accept it's their opinion and move on?
maybe they said something that hit a nerve on what you see as your short comings, if so what can you do to improve and build a bit more confidence?
It's easy for people to bitch away and be critical, that's the internet all over, take things with a pinch of salt and if you see anything constructive in criticism, use it to improve.
Obviously I could be talking about something completely different to what you meant, but hope it's somewhat helpful.

I deal with this every comic and there's questions and despair. You have to build up an arsenal of coping mechanisms. It could be friends and family, throwing yourself into a project (mindless and just do it. Something you love that takes your mind off of everything. Could be something as simple as mowing the lawn or vigorous exercise or for me model building)

And watch your favorite comedy. Something that always makes you laugh out loud. And let yourself laugh. In my darkest time a friend gave me the Marx Brothers boxed set and another the whole first season of Abbott and Costello. I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes.

And darkness and despair became bearable and the my inner creativity was rekindled. But throughout I had to keep telling myself to let myself be happy because I'm very good at being my own worst enemy.

If someone savages your work that badly, you should use it as inspiration to prove them wrong. Quitting just affirms your detractors and is an admission of defeat. I've had tons of people tell me I suck – and it was true, for a very long time (some would say it still is) – but that only encouraged me to keep improving.

If someone was nasty to you then it just means that what you're doing isnt for them. Might be a shock for a while, especially if it's come from a source that you have respect for. That can really hurt. but you're not doing it for them. you're doing it for yourself. regardless of quality if you love your work then i do think you'll find your way back to it and you may even find that your skin's gotten a bit thicker.

That is, assuming that what caused the spark to fade was due to some sort of feedback.

If it is because of negative criticism of your work, some great advice is offered above.

As someone who practically created their own medium and writes grindhouse B-movie satire I've faced more than my fair share of criticism and fields of crickets when if I was doing traditional medium might be one of the top read comics here. But it's dolls and no one is interested in dolls. Fought that battle and continue to do so. My stuff has attracted readers but it still feels like it's all uphill.

There are plenty of other creators here who been there and felt this. Some have expressed their frustration here and other places. Find inspiration in their stories and keep creating.

As they say in the Army FIDO: fuck it, drive on

Thanks for the feedback.

I wish I was more clear at the time when I made this but I was extremely upset and questioning if I did something wrong, but it was not criticisms about my work I got but a lot of hate directly aimed at me because I took a stand against this member's paranoid fantasy of being attack on the way to the grocery store by relaying my own stories of actually being attacked by teens while walking from a grocery store, got beaten pretty badly and when the cops showed up they were, “boys will be boys” and just paid lip service to police work. Later on those same teens killed a store owner I knew, and a lot people asked why it happened.

Basically I was mad, and maybe out of line but I was kind of sick of people playing the victim in their head, but they act like it was my fault I was attacked and the fight continued until the poster told me I should die, my family should die and that they are more important than I am with a huge backing behind them I felt alienated, and that kind of ruined doing webcomics for me.

ah okay, well the way that made you feel would affect your creative energy.
I can't say much for what is right regarding the events, but hopefully you will get back onto an even keel soon enough.