One of the reasons why the path of the "professional artist" never appealed to me is that I felt it would mean having to be creative on demand and since I do not consider myself a natural artist I was sure that this kind of pressure would kill any creative spirit inside.

Then there is the dilemma you speak of in this post and it seems to be one shared by many artists. And you are right, in order to make a living from your art you do need to be seen. You do need to approach your art making with the same kind of professionalism as any job. Yet I see so many artists struggle with guilt over this. Those that succeed in earning an income from their art and creativity seem to have crossed that invisible threshold, they seem to have stepped into a place where they say "Yes, this is my art and passion and I am proud of it and I believe it is worth something, I believe I am worth it."

Maybe it is also not so much about being original but authentic and finding your own voice, and letting others hear THAT. The path will open up from there.

What you are doing is so brave, you have taken a huge leap of faith - in your passion and creativity - and the fact that you question all these things tells me that you take your path very seriously and that you speak from your heart and with an authentic voice. Keep trusting your passion.

Hugs from another gipsy soul :) xo

This is a really good debate you're having with yourself and I think a lot of people reading this can relate, and therefore appreciate that you put your thoughts out here for us to read. I think similarly, people that enjoy good photography would appreciate that you put your images here for us to enjoy. I feel that simply putting your work out there in front of people who genuinely appreciate it is wonderful and brave and something you shouldn't be ashamed of at all. There are some people that go overboard with self-promotion, but they probably do that because their work isn't good enough to get attention on its own. If you put work online that you're proud of and let those who love it spread the word if they choose, the "being seen" part will happen on its own.

I think what you say about being overly connected it´s very true, as with everything else, it can become more negative than positive to have all this inmediate responses and have so much access to information, images, art, etc. if not use with wisdom , for it can steale a huge amount of time and focus as well as energy that we could invest in making our life, art and relationships richer, and deeper. On the other hand, sometimes the internet can be a magnificent resource of inspiration and motivation to reconnect with our own and unique way to express our creativity and lose the fear of showing that to the world, not with the intention of seeking reafirmation and acceptance, but as an act of selflove and the willingness of letting out with pride and humbleness a part of what we are.
I think it all comes down to finding the balance within, wich is unique as every person and use this tools for our personal grow, instead of losing ourselves in it.
BLESSINGS

Brave, beautiful post, and you address something I struggle with on an almost daily basis. Finding that balance is so tricky, particularly when so much information about what is going on in other peoples' lives is thrown at us all day, everyday. I have learned to be very careful about how much I let myself wander down that path of paying too close attention to what is going on with other people. So often it ends up feeling draining rather than inspiring, and I am still trying to figure out the right balance that helps me feel uplifted when I spend time with other people's stories in this community.

Reading Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth: Awakening to your LIfe Purpose and he says our EGO looks to claim accomplishments while our Soul exists "to be"... that said, do we embark on our paths because we need "to be" one with our souls or because we seek affirmation to placate our ego.
as Julia Cameron (an artist's way) writes: our soul is about the process while our ego is about the product.
Our soul loves "I am writing a book" while our ego needs to hear "I have sold a book"

Then again, everything I've read the trick is to get outside of our thoughts, our cerebration, because we are not so much our thoughts as we are our feelings...

you know what i have been struggling with the most recently with my art (even saying my art scares the pants off me!).

it's being seen and none of it speaking to anyone in any way that is meaningful. putting it out there and reaching, reaching, reaching and finding nothing at the end of my fingertips except empty air and silence. and yet, the being seen is not why i create. it has become an extension of me that is as needed now as breath.

brave-hearted, beautiful one. your words make me pause tonight and really think about what i am also doing and why.

arohanui
x

This was so thought provoking I had to write my own post in response!

I can't believe you said this. I have just been thinking on a very similar topic... or related maybe, about how we put ourselves in boxes and lose some of our freedom, although it is safer there. And yes, I'm talking of art.

I don't know if I can pursue this dream of professional artist and writer right now. It is just a time full of taking care of little children and household concerns and money worries. If I take time to paint and write, that's it. There is little left for the business stuff... unless I am willing to sacrifice the well being of my mind and body, it seems.

I don't know what the answer will be, but I am going to have faith that I will find and answer that works for me... until it doesn't, and then I will find a new question, a new answer.

What a wonderful post. I agree with you and resonate with this: "Deep in my heart I feel that true originality and meaning come by only in solitude."

I think that sometimes the copying for some bloggers/artists can be a way for them to get in touch with themselves when they can't be in solitude, when they are too busy - as a reminder of what they love and sharing that. Because loving another artist's painting or a designer's dress does say something about oneself and can fill you with joy.

Your reminder to go in solitude is perfect because it helps balance us and it sounds like you are seeing a pattern of being excessive as you said, and not so much originality. My husband notices the same thing and talks about it.

This is a good reminder for me to post more about my own artwork, as a balance to sharing so much of what I love about others'...Thank you.

i think this must be in the air because i was just wondering the same thing last night as well. i had this moment of 'blogs are the dumbest thing in the world and why is everyone so eager for others to see our lives- why don't we just live them?'
yet, i think one of the main reasons blogs have blossomed as they have is that we do not have the same communities that we used to. A neighborhood no longer defines the people who live there like it did in generations past. Now we often feel we have nothing in common at all with our neighbors so we reach out to other like minded people that are interesting and are inspiring. Our neighbors may be excited only about watching TV so we look to other artists and those who are creating and contributing to the beauty in the world. I know that especially when I'm traveling and start feeling a bit isolated it's great to connect with others and be inspired by beautiful photos and stories. It reminds me why I love to do what I do when travel delays and the stress of the day have me forgetting.

I found you through Swirly, so there is at least something to be said for this over-connectedness. But Dear God, you are so right. You are so right. Time alone is hard to come by, even for those of us who live alone. I am about to rid myself of the laptop at my house - back to my business it will come. For a year, using this connection here at work - it is my business, so I can do so whenever I want - was perfectly fine. Then it seemed that the idea of a computer at home would be helpful - I could return emails & comments, etc., etc. - but I was wrong. It is too tempting to blog around instead of paint; I feel pressured to write more instead of paint. So back it will come.

I am reminded of a Georgia O'Keeffe quote I read somewhere. A visitor in her New Mexico studio remarked that he, too, was, an artist, whereupon Georgia, being Georgia, snapped "Then why aren't you home painting?" I always liked that.

I will continue to search for this balance and I am lucky to have a place where I can only blog, and a place where I can only paint. They are only a few minutes apart, but it is an important few minutes.

... sigh... deep in the heart of being, you are...

so much here in this post, so much to celebrate and wrestle with and talk about... I love the image of your art, my art, everyone's art spilling out all over the place... love that... and you too...

Gypsy! :)
First, I'll be the first to admit that I need, want, crave and desire LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!
It's all there is, after all.
I cannot function without it. But at the same time, I know others need it too and so I try to get out there and give some as well. Blogging is only a small fraction of it for me. Yes, I love reading nice comments, and I can tell those from the ones who are blind cheerleaders. I prefer the genuine comment. But you have to admit, hasn't blogging made you accountable for your life?
I know it has for me. Not that I wasn't living before, now I am living deeper, fuller, with more gratitude and I also want to SHARE that.
Pretty cool.
I for one am so thankful that your art spills off the pages for me to read and soak in...you amongst many others inspire my life to be bigger, better, and greater.
So THANK YOU!!!
xoxxo

Hey there lovely Alex, funny you should post this, I was debating it myself, especially since joining twitter as well. For my part, I've decided to take a sabbatical from my journalism and dedicate the summer to completing the first draft of a novel -- and the place I'm writing is a bucolic, peaceful place in the depths of nature -- no disturbances!
So the blogs I visit (and the online writing groups I belong to) are a way to feel connected to the outside world in lieu of socializing while I'm in creating mode...and if you and the other goddesses I read didn't blog, the (online) world would be a smaller, sadder place! What you give is a *gift*, truly. And it makes me want to give more in my own blog, too...when I am able to again...(I only have so much writing in me right now!)
Peace, Jules :)

its like you have wound your way inside my head ... i am such a social person and i love reading and seeing the beauty and expression of others but sometime last month, i started to feel overload, too much. i had to slow down and stop reading others all the time and just focus on me and what i was doing. its hard because i have come to care about so many people in this online world but i only have one life, one chance to do all that i crave and love and so while i can come here to the online feast of inspiration, i also have to make space for not coming here all the time.

i am lucky though because my livelihood does not depend on reaching out and staying connected and i think for me it is important that the two don't really interwine that much. my photography business is locally based and my art is done for me, to feed me and if others like it great, if not, it really doesn't matter in terms of my life beyond the emotional :-) because of course we all carry that with us whether we make a living off our art or whether we choose to share it with the world.

i think i am having this whole conversation in my head about this and have been for a while. it definitely deserves more thought and discourse i think ... thank you! xo

Wow! You really connected with a deep vein in many people's thoughts right now. Me too! Thank you for this thoughtful post. I'm struggling with the right balance but coming to visit you is always a pleasure and an inspiration. xx