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I halted my artistic career due to the concept of identity. It dawned on me that I was tailoring my artwork to suit the preferences and expectations of others,
by nbzso 4y ago
I halted my artistic career due to the concept of identity. It dawned on me that I was tailoring my artwork to suit the preferences and expectations of others, which led to a profound realization. I made a conscious decision to disentangle my creative output from commercial validation and societal pressures.
- noduerme 4y agoI think one way or the other, avoiding narcissism is the ideal thing. I do commercial art a lot. I take pride in my work. I don't consider it "art", just creative communication. And at the same time I'm not sure I consider my fine art to be anything other than creative dreaming / practice. Contrary to what you're saying, I actually think it's good to take pride and get a little emotional lift in both cases when people praise your work... but I think a sense of self is knowing not to define your own worth by what other people think of your output, and by the same token if you do define your worth that way, it makes it impossible to be humble about your own shortcomings. But it's okay to write or paint for an audience. Making art in a void is a lonely place to be.
- nbzso 4y agoLoneliness may have two sides, but it's a powerful tool for self-discovery. My personal instincts at the time told me to shut down and embrace it, and I don't regret it because we're all the same, yet unique in our own way.