saw this on fb and thought it was great.
How to Make Yourself Feel Miserable as a Creative person:
1) Constantly compare yourself to others in your same craft
2) Base the entire success of your career on one project
3) Stick only with what you know
4) Undervalue your expertise
5) Let money dictate exclusively what you do
6) Only work on what you think others will love
7) Do only what the client/patron/gallery owner asks
8) Base your artistic merit on the comment sections of your posts
9) Never take time to recharge
10) Set unachievable/overwhelming goals, to be accomplished by tomorrow.
**I was finally able to track down the original post - see it here on this blog, Craft, Create, Connect.
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Thanks for the link back :). I thought this list was too great not to share too!
ReplyDeleteI needed this today. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I just lost my full-time job, and with no prospects, I want to use my craft as an income. As the days go by, I'm frozen with fear; that it isn't good enough for people to want, that I can't do this, will people hate it and go, "Why would I want to buy that?" I can't create and I constantly beat myself up. Now I want to just sit and cry. How do you get yourself out of this place of fear? How do you unfreeze yourself?
ReplyDeletethose are great questions, Vickie. Not sure I'm able to answer them for you, but i'd just say, you have to try because right now its what you have in front of you, with no other prospects. trust and keep trying. good luck.
DeleteVicki look at it this way... now Is the perfect time to just go for it.... don't try to figure out if some one would buy an item and. don't beat yourself up about it... both are creativity killers... just tuck away those fears and go for it.... not to sound like a mommy type... but as mom would say you'll never know till you try.
DeleteI too lost my job 5 years ago, in that time I found a dream job that lasted a year, but gave me the guts to open a store. I opened the store with a hope and a dream and not too much money. When the money ran out my husband and I started making things out of old records. Everyday we are in the store or online we get to have people and even our children tell us how cool we are. It all happened because we did the one thing that we had no fear, because what did we have to lose? Yes, we did what we loved and other people loved it too and we do feed on that. We have faced giant storms literally and things don't always go the way we want, but now I can look back and be proud of these 5 years and I am so very happy to say I am employed again by where I lost my job 5 years ago. No one's future is certain but, by making sure you spend your time doing something you love.......nothing else matters! I hope your story has a happy ending too!!!!
DeleteVicki, have a look at your email, I sent you a special message.
DeleteLove Sallianne
www.art-is-you.com.au
To be honest Vickie, I think you just need to create what you love. When you create with passion it always shows in the piece and that is what pulls people in. Also when you create with passion, those little fear gremlins you hear saying..who would buy this, people are going to hate it...those gremlins won't be so loud and annoying.
ReplyDeleteDon't create with the end goal of selling, create with the end goal of sharing.
Vickie, How do you get yourself out of that place of fear? YOu love your art, and you put it out there just to share and show others they can do it. Once you are comfortable with that the selling comes easy. There will always be people who do not understand or like your art, but that is the way it is. Up in CT they do not get alot of what I do. I have had fun with some techniques, but found my niche back with fabric. For me once I truly loved what I was working with and creating, I felt like I was an artist and when you have that confidence it all falls into place. I found that the fear I had about others accepting and liking my art was more of my own fears about myself and my art, not others. It took several years for this to be a reality for me but it was worth the journey. I have had to re-figure my market, the shows I do, etc and it is alot of work. I have also come to the notion that right now I cannot depend on my art for income totally and it will always be a dream but it might not be reality. I see lots of my friends struggling with this. They all are so talented but it is so hard out there with the economy, It might not be you or your art but the economy and times, so don't take it personally. I see my friends selling and teaching and constantly marketing themselves. Some of them sell, teach and work a necessary job as well. I work 40 hrs in telecomm, have a business and work for someone else designing little baubles for her purses. The key for me truly is Confidence, Belief in myself and the love of what I do. Remember you might not hear it from people but your art community are your friends and love and respect what you are doing, and have complete faith in you. You can do it!!! I am!! I wish you well. xox
ReplyDeleteACTION! Vicki, now is not the time to think but to just do? Get a timer and create for 30 minutes and STOP. Even if you don't want to. Then go for a walk, clean something, and let yourself feel the feeling of craving to get back to your art. Do it in mini spurts for awhile. Why...so you don't get mad, frustrated, feeling frustrated or angry at the very passion you want to pursue. Create a craving and desire to work. Get a part time job to take the edge off the financial issue and to give yourself less time to creat and obsess. The more time you have the less you will do in your current state.
ReplyDeleteSecond thing, get a small sketch book or create something where you will draw, design, mumble and have fun for 10 minutes a day.
Third, look on line for challenge groups in your medium. Just one - they keep you working and learning. And communicating with like minded artist. You are not alone, you are not alone and you are not alone. The worst thing is to sit around and think about what is wrong. It is a fact there is a lot wrong in your life right now...no jump and lots of doubts ( many many of us are or have been there). So accept the fact, sit them in storage and just move forward anyway. You have no idea what will happen but something will! It is very much a process and as you create and learn your art will change and grow. And it will sell. Maybe not enough to support yourself but in the process of action you will find additional and related ways to create income.
Just do not sit still and for now, turn your thinking cap off! Best of luck. Miriam
Vickie,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry about your job loss and no prospects. I like to think though, that this only means that you are meant to go into a new direction.
Do not think about what to do to please others or whether someone will love your art. Just be your beautiful self and allow that to show in your art.
Once the joy of what you do comes out, others will be drawn to your art. I find myself LOVING art that I wouldn't have glanced at before - partly because it actually showcases the inner joy of the artist!
Best of luck to you my dear. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers <3
I can't tell you all how much I appreciate your wonderful words, wisdom and just taking the time to impart it. You are all right. I know it. I need to just settle, take one step at a time and just do something. I actually have plans, know what I need to do ... I just need to keep the fear at bay and just move forward. I know that I can only do it myself, but all your words of encouragement mean a lot to me. Thank you so much and please know you have all helped me.
ReplyDeleteit's a small world we live in and if we can give just a few helpful words to you, then we are very happy.
DeleteThis list came at a perfect time. Showed it to my husband, who is not a creative, but does many of the things on this list in his job. It seemed to calm him to read the list.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
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