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Our cultural understanding of what it is to be a successful artist or creative might be oppressing you and stifling your ability to make your work and get it out into the world.
When you think about getting your work out there, do you feel weighted and resistant or light and energized? If the answer is that you feel weighted or resistant, or any other similar feeling, you might be working under an understanding of success that is not in alignment with your values. In our broader culture we are taught that success means critical acclaim, high price tags, massive audience, high-end galleries, and making a solid living on your art work. All of this implies a judgement; is your work good enough to merit this - are you a good artist? This kind of judgement is counter-productive to making the heart-based work that is so essential to our well being. If you are making for the context of critical acclaim, money and reputation, your connection to the vulnerable work of the heart is going to dry up. That kind of work is vulnerable and raw and does not do well with judgment. If, on the other hand, you approach putting your art out into the world from a place of generosity, then the vulnerable, rich, exciting, raw work of the heart will have more ease. So think about your values, what is important to you in making the work. How do you want your work to interact with the audience? For example I value a deep connection, where my work might be healing or help people see the deeper parts of themselves. When I think of getting it out with a sense of generosity, I feel much more light and excited. It is worth it to get the work out there. My notion of success involves continuing to make with pleasure and depth, having a way for others to connect with the work on a deep level, and making work in the context of a life that is balanced and happy. What are your values and how do they relate to how you want to connect with your audience? How do you want to re-write the idea of success?
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No really- what does it mean to you?
The reason I ask is that I think many artists and creatives are not even aware that they are holding an image of success as a standard that only makes them feel bad and is not anywhere close to what they really want in life. What if you defined your own sense of success based on your own values and desires? You might feel a weight lifted and a sense of possibility and hope come creaping in! Success might be more attainable if you really look at what matters to you and don't get lost in what you think it is supposed to be. Today these are the things that I am thinking about that define success for me:
I would love to know what success looks like for you when you base it on your true values. Please comment below!
Can I interview you? It would be so helpful for me to hear what is going on for you so I can understand how to be of better service to artists and creatives and I would be happy to offer a coaching session in exchange. For more information CLICK HERE. |
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