As artists, with every post, we express vulnerability, share a part of our soul. As you create more and more, you become more and more comfortable with that sharing. As you evolve as an artist, your ability to express yourself in a candid way grows. It is symbolic of your deeper inside self.
There’s a part of you that fears judgement, criticism. You are going public with your work and anyone can see and give their opinion, compare you to other creators, say “you could have done that differently”. Forget others, even you tend to go into that imposter syndrome sometimes. Thoughts like “there are so many talented artists in the world, their work is amazing, and look at me- I am nothing”. You need to overcome that to share your art. I had to come to terms with that.
How did I get to that point where I can manage these feelings, these insecurities much better than I did a few years ago? The connection of humanity. Despite everyone’s talent, we are all people. And that makes us all equal. We all feel the same things, and we all pour those emotions into our creations. We all share our light and uniqueness in the world.
I used to feel that the level of talent, the beautiful creations would be a gap between us, we would have fierce competition, but it actually brought us closer. We could connect easily with each other. Instead of competition, we are each other’s friends and supporters, we find inspiration from each other.
You don’t need be any more than who you are. Don’t compare, get inspired. Stay your authentic self. Your growth and improvement are a reflection of your personality, nothing more, nothing less.
I had to learn how to simply be my authentic self. That’s it. I had to learn how to stop trying so hard to be special, let go of my ego, stop comparing myself to others. I had to go “I may not have the same technical skills as that artist, or I may not be part of the exhibition or magazine that they are part of but its ok”. I am me. I have my own path, my own resume. I can still get inspired and learn something. How did they do that cool color blending? How did they engage people in their posts? How did they convey that message in the work? And what is it about their work that makes me go “wow, I love it”? How is it relatable?
Break away from the artist’s point of view and just look at it like a viewer. Recognize them as human. They are also struggling just like you are. They are also celebrating their wins just like you are. You are no greater or worse than anyone else you admire. You are human. And in the end, that’s the most important thing. Being able to connect from one human to another.