fear – The Artist's Playbook

There is No Need to Please Everyone.

When we start out as artists there is always a myriad of questions (totally fear based by the way!) What if they don’t like my work? What if people actually hate it? I don’t want to put it out there because no one will want to buy it. Why would anyone want my work? Who will want to buy my work?

And the list goes on.

What I’ve learnt over the years is that not everyone will like your art. It’s as simple as that. So what you need to do is put it front of people who do and will buy your art. And not worry about those who don’t connect with it – find those that do!

And how do you do this? You share your work often. You allow people to connect with the work. And you keep sharing – your process, your creative finished works and your plans for the future. What is that saying – do what you fear and the death of fear is certain.

Those who love what you do will say so and they will continue to follow you. And they will eventually buy from you.

There will be some, not so often though who will actually, buy straight off the bat, they will love what you do because they connect with it straight away.

But, if you are not putting your work out there, how is anyone going to know whether they like it not?

In order for your work to be seen and liked (and inevitably judged), you have to be putting it out there.

And today, more than ever, it is so much easier to share our art online and through social media.

So what are you waiting for. Go and share some of your art. Do it now. Because there is no time like the present.

It has been 20 years since I first embarked on this journey as an artist and if there is anything that can get in the way of progress FEAR can!

And even now, I still experience Fear of being judged, fear of being criticised, fear of not being good enough. At the end of the day that is what it all comes down to – feelings of not being good enough.

So as an artist, how do we conquer this Fear?

Well, over the years I’ve had to face the music and just DO! Just get out there, look fear in the face and JUST DO IT. When I was in my teens one of my favourite quotes I learnt was “feel the fear and do it anyway”. And this has stuck with me today. I’ve had so many opportunities over the years to face my fear and I can say that each step I took, each time I looked fear in the face, it helped me just that little bit more to deal with fear.

And I have had a bit of help along the way with different healing journeys which have all contributed to my letting go of this thing we call FEAR.

It is amazing how much it can have a grip on us, how hard it can be to let go, but each moment we let go and get up in front of that crowd, or put ourselves out there we move one step towards being FEARLESS.