As cliché as it may sound, someone has actually blocked everyone they knew because they needed space to be fully an artist. And I relate.
A couple of weeks ago, during my infinite scroll hour on Instagram, I came across this IG post by Amy McNee or Inspiredtowrite. It resonated with me so much that I had to write something about it. And you may wonder, why need space to be an artist? Like you can just be it. But I am here to tell you, it is beyond space and beyond art. It is owning an identity and living your full potential as a human being.
Would I block everyone to be who I am?
I have always created art. A big chunk of it remains unseen. Be it an ugly process, unfinished paintings, paintings I loved then hated, and others I never mastered the courage to create.
Out of every 10 ideas I had, at least 9 were cringe and unworthy of coming to life.
Not only have I never mastered the courage to paint some of my wild ideas, but I was never bold enough to block everyone who may judge those ideas of mine, in order to be truly the artist I am.
Years later, I started this blog. And for the first few months, nobody knew that I did besides a couple of people. I once again felt like I owe showing everything to my closest people. I still managed to avoid speaking my mind and just provide flat art-related opinions and recommendations.
No one told me I was allowed to create a space for myself where I could speak my mind freely, paint with no boundaries, and not have anyone with preset expectations for who I should be and what I should do around to judge me. Because society made sure that we grow to adapt to the molds created for us instead of creating our own molds to fit in. No one told it was okay to create a space to be an artist.
Own your freedom to be the artist you truly are
Create a new account and start posting the content you have been wanting to share. Make sure you block anyone who has set expectations for you and what you’re supposed to do. Find a new audience where people know nothing about you and who would provide feedback on your work away from who you personally are. Show your work and stop hiding your true potential.
Until you are ready to invite those who know you back again into your life. Goals do not grow in fear. They do not grow in confusion and uncertainty. If you hide one side of who you are or how you perceive the world, your mind will spend so much energy protecting what you’re hiding. And when you need the focus to deep work, create, and innovate, your mind will have already exhausted its capacities and abilities in diminishing your value and making you blend in.
Why do you need space to be an artist?
What space do I specifically mean?
Physical, mental, emotional, and environmental freedom of creation.
Growing up as a self-taught artist, I needed a physical space of my own with no distractions around to create my art. Nothing made it harder to create the paintings I truly wanted to create than having people watch me paint and allowing them to judge the whole process and critic my way of doing things. Perhaps the themes I chose weren’t good enough in their opinions. They were too Western for a Moroccan girl.
As an adult, I now know that the natural process of art-making is uncertain, ugly, messy, and hard to understand for non-artists. But it doesn’t take me back to being a teenager with a dream and a skillset.
On the other hand, Creativity requires a certain level of mental clarity and focus. I desperately needed a lot of mental space to explore my ideas, emotions, and thoughts. A quiet time for introspection that would allow my mind to generate ideas would be much appreciated.
I know that when you started, nobody told you that creating art is a very emotional and vulnerable experience. No one said that you needed to connect with your inner self and express your emotions through your art without external judgments or pressures. Because they are not artists and they never knew either.
You need space to be an artist because you probably also grew up in an environment, a country, a city, or a family that didn’t offer or understood what artistic freedom is. Space can symbolize independence for artists to experiment, take risks, and explore new techniques without feeling constrained or restricted by external factors.
What else does “space” offer the artist?
Uninterrupted time. Artistic projects often require extended periods of focused work. Having dedicated time and space can help artists immerse themselves in their work, leading to more substantial and meaningful creations.
Conclusion
Next time someone asks you why you need space to be an artist or why you chose to start a creative endeavor away from them, send them to this article. I will gladly handle it for you so you can enjoy creating <3
