Creatives supporting creatives. No one has to be alone.
Stop suffering in silence and get some friends!
I’ve taken to social media lately thanking every single person that interacts with me. It took me a long time to get comfortable and step out of the shadows and to be transparent with my thoughts and my work. There’s the never-ending ‘what ifs’, downgrading our work and skills, fear of rejection or even worse…the fear of not being seen. Who will see us? Who will appreciate us? Who can we turn to for friendship and guidance? Being a creative is exciting and I believe that everyone is born with a creative gift - some of them just haven’t discovered it yet. Too busy chasing a dream that isn’t meant for them instead of taking the leap of faith into their true purpose. Maybe it comes early or later in life, but as soon as you acknowledge your purpose and hopefully stopped running from it then you know that it came right on time for you.
Thread post, 10/23/2023:
“Being a creative can be a very lonely journey. The ppl that know you best may not be your biggest supporters but some random strangers and other creatives could be. We just understand how this works bc we share similar stories and possibly a similar vision.
Listen - don’t force a connection if it isn’t there. Accept it and move along. Don’t put anyone down or be salty bc you feel them but they don’t feel you.
Get some genuine ppl on your side who care about you and your journey.”
Think about this for a moment. It was important that I shared this post because I’ve seen an influx of creatives sharing their deepest feelings on social media regarding not being seen and lack of support. A few reasons that come up on their issues are: 1) too shy, 2) fear of criticism, 3) believing the negative thoughts of not being good enough, 4) not enough followers, 5) unsure how often to be present on social media and in person, 6) depression and anxiety…the list goes on and on but these are the reasons I hear the most. How did we get here and how can we move past this? The short answer is we are in control of our success. We must also ask ourselves the questions of who do we want to be and where do we want to go. It’s natural to want to share our thoughts with our family and friends about our journey but let’s be honest, some of them just don’t get it and don’t care to understand. Ouch…hard reality check to the heart. So now what? Now its time to find someone that’ll listen.
My bestfriend of 30 years, Erica, has been one of my biggest supporters. I initially relied on her creative and business knowledge heavily over the years since she was the only person I knew as a creative entrepreneur at the time. Eventually, I met more creatives at art shows and through social media who are equally as supportive. A few new friends that come to mind are LL, Cristina, Asia and Carlos. We talk like we’re old friends. My feelings were hitting the highs and lows this year and I needed an outlet. Discovering what we have in common and learning of our similar experiences made these connections even more genuine. I had established new friendships with people that I’ve never met before but hope to meet them someday. LL and I found each other through LinkedIn, Carlos through Instagram and Cristina and Asia through Threads. Amongst the six of us, we agree that being a creative brings a host of challenges that are not for the weak, yet we wake up everyday doing what we love that brings us peace even on the days when we’re not our best. Casual conversations turned into therapeutic venting sessions that concludes with new brainstorming ideas. For us this is a comfortable flow. No one feeling threatened by the other, cheering in the background. We carve out pockets of time to send one another quick voice notes and written messages of encouragement. Are these long distance art relationships just as important as meeting someone in person? Yes, but it should never be replaced. The universe has a way of bringing people together at the right time and we must take advantage of that however these people appear.
Don’t let your lack of confidence, knowledge, skills and presence keep you from growing. It all starts with what you tell yourself everyday and I see too many creatives feeding themselves toxic self talk and choosing to be alone. It’s through connections and conversations from others that we find enlightenment. Real breakthroughs are happening and we allow just enough room for a select few to come into our lives. Too caught up bottling those burning thoughts and feelings when you actually need someone in your corner. When you do find them, they may only be there for a season and that’s ok. They did what they’re supposed to do. Just because it’s your journey and you’re doing everything yourself doesn’t mean that you’re truly alone.
Truly awesome 🖤🦋