Your Team

Hey Artist,

It's you against the world. Suffering for your art. Misunderstood and alone in your genius, toiling; while no one around seems to understand. Right?

Why the hell would you do that to yourself?

I am not trying to belittle anyone who is suffering because they are different and misunderstood. The town you grew up in is absolutely backward, and harmful to you and your art.

But

You don't have to stay there.

Maybe in the past, artists did have to deal with such suffering because of the societies they grew up in. There are places in the world where people are absolutely denied the ability to pursue their calling.

However; if you are living in any democratic nation in 2022; you have the option to change your circumstance.

I'm not saying that it will be easy. Maybe you are a caretaker. Maybe money is tight. Maybe, you have a caretaker. I don't know your situation.

But if you are in a toxic environment, leave. If you can't completely cut ties, minimize.

If you live with your mother and every time you show her a painting she mocks and criticizes you, stop sharing your work with her.

If your husband makes fun of poetry, don't read him your poetry.

So now great, you're living in a vacuum.

Probably not better.

The solution is to find your community. The old me would have also added, "Or build it", but that isn't always feasible, and until you stop drowning; it's probably best to focus on yourself.

(In addition, in some communities, it might be physically dangerous to challenge the status quo so directly; so exercise caution).

The difficulty that you face, of course; is that the place you live, may not have any groups. Or they may be toxic.

But it is 2022 as of this writing.

Find an online group of like minded artists. Find pages where you can share your work. Find communities.

I know it's harder now. I have only one fellow artist that I talk to consistently myself. The lockdown isolated many artists, with sometimes tragic results.

But do what you can. Find groups. Check them out. Make sure that they are positive and lift you up. Get coaching. Take a class, whatever.

But stop trying to do it all alone.

Even if it were feasible to have "success" all by yourself, what is the point if no one celebrates it with you?

Go find your tribe.

E