Personalized insight
Are You Choosing Through Fear? Or From Truth?
An artist recently told me that for years there was a battle inside her head as both hemispheres of her brain struggled to control her fate.
The right side of her brain screamed to be an artist. It wanted to play, to make, to create.
But the left side of her brain had other ideas. Sensible ideas. Practical ideas.
She tried to embrace these ideas. She tried to have a so-called ‘normal’ career.
But it just didn’t fit.
Some artists continue to follow that path anyway. Though they’d prefer to not do the 9 to 5, they’ve had to.
And there’s nothing wrong with choosing to work for money and security. Or choosing to devote yourself to raising children. Or the myriad of other choices that artists have made given their personalities and life circumstances.
History is full of artists who’ve had day jobs. Successful artists!
There’s only a problem when you make your choices through fear, not truth. Or when you find yourself consistently sacrificing your need to create for your need to earn.
It’s not that easy.
For some people, having a sense of security is hugely important, and to embrace the entrepreneurial life of an artist or creative would be inconceivable.
That’s an important question to ask yourself, how comfortable are you with risk?
But know that not all art has to be marketed and sold. And you can still be an artist if you have another job away from the easel.
You get to create what your journey looks like.
Because being an artist isn’t what you do, it’s who you are.
Written by Crista Cloutier, artist mentor + founder of The Working Artist. (learn more about Crista here)
