There comes a time when we have to make a big decision with our creativity....whether or not to share it. I have noticed this is a big issue for many people in creative recovery....I hear a lot of people rationalizing why they don't share their work.
But in the back of many people's minds is really, "I don't feel confident about sharing my work." Or "people are going to trash it." And of course, "my work doesn't look as good as. so and so's." Gaining the confidence to share your work is a process that takes time and patience. I always tell people to be gentle with yourself with this and to trust your intuition as to when and how you will share your creativity. But once you gain the courage to share your work, you will find that it will be one of the most rewarding and freeing feelings that you will ever experience. It took another artist friend poking me ever so often to share my work. I was more known as an art curator than an artist at the time, and didn't feel confident putting my work next to the beautifully talented artists that I worked with in exhibitions. My friend and I were co-curatoring an exhibition at a coffee shop in Baltimore, Maryland and she encouraged me to make something for the show. I did and it was a proud moment for me to place it on the wall and place a label beside it. After that, I had the courage to submit my work in a few exhibitions and next thing I knew, I was exhibiting regularly as an artist. When I first sold my first art piece, I really gain more confidence to create more work for exhibitions. Even today, after over ten years of exhibiting my work, I get just as excited as I did with my first sale. But how do you get there? Here's a few tips that may help you move from hiding your work to getting it all out there.
In conclusion, I thought I would share the following advice that appeared on on a blog featured on Life Hacker on the topic of sharing your creativity by Leanne Regalla, a Freelance writer and content marketer:
Have you recently started sharing your creative work to others? What steps did you take to get the courage to share your work? What would you do differently?
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As a creative who is immersed with my own art making ventures it is important that I take the time to be clear on what I want, what matters and what doesn’t. Since we are on the cusp of spring, I am taking time to revisit my intentions and goals for my creative practice. I have found in the past when I did not take the time to “feel” my way into my intentions the grounding doesn’t happen and I end disappointed and a bit frazzled at the end of the year. I talk a lot about the importance of setting some intentions and goals in relation to your creative practice. Today, I wanted to share a tool that I use to make sure that I keep on track with what I have set for the year, quarter, month or week. One of the methods I have been working for the last four years with is the Desire Mapping process, which helps identify the “feelings” you want to experience with all aspect of your life, rather than tangible, concrete resolutions or goals for any given year. As a creative individual, this process appeals to me because it allows me to look at major goals and opportunities based more on energy/vibes than a check mark for my resume. The Desire Mapping process focuses on “Core Desired Feelings” or CDFs that you identify after a fairly lengthy process which focuses on what you want to feel about all aspects of your life.. At the end of the year, I completed my CDFs for this year and much of what I decide to engage in or be informed by will be based on these CDFs. I also use the Desire Map planner to review my progress toward my goals and make sure that my CDFs are in alignment with my plans for the week, month or quarter. The planners are very attractive and provides helpful quotes and prompts to guide you in making the best decisions that align with what you desire to feel. What process do you use for setting intentions or goals? How do you track them? Do you use any special planners or guiding imagery or words to keep you on track? Please share in the comments. Many people ask me how I make time to create with so much going on in my life. Part of it is because I am a Gemini (ha,ha)...but mostly is because I learned the hard way what it feels like to not be able to create. I decided once I unblocked myself, it was important for me to nurture and encourage my creative muse at all costs. To say that it has been easy would be untrue....there are days and weeks when my other world takes precedent and I am unable to make my creative practice a priority. But in those times, I make note of the things that inspire me, the ideas that come to me, and the images that get my attention. When the time comes again for me to resume my creative practice, I collect the ideas, images, etc., that I found during the time of unproductivity which helps me jump start my creative practice without searching for ideas. So you may be telling yourself, that's great for you, but how can I possibly fit in my creative practice when I have a household to run, a full-time job, care taking of elderly parents, and other demands on my time? Here are a few ideas to help you determine whether or not that is truly a reality for you:
Once you decide that your creativity IS an important part of your life that should not be given to chance, you can take the steps to infuse it into your schedule. Don't worry about how much time you can spend right away, as you move forward and become more disciplined, you will find that it will take the right place in your schedule naturally. |
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