sharing creativity

past, present, and future of lessons learned

I once had a friend ask me, “How are you so comfortable sharing what you make with others?”

Now, my response is well, I share it mostly for me. If you want to put yourself out there in whatever fashion that looks like, you have to start somewhere. So I learned that it’s okay to share something unfinished - a starting point or a work in progress. It’s amazing to have these moments in time documented to look back on and see growth over time. When you put work out there, you are opening a window into your life where people can see a little of what goes on in your brain or what your mind or heart can produce.

Often, people are more proud of your courage than critical of your work.

It can feel terrifying to put something out there in the world before you’re sure that others will like it. That’s the part that needs to change - when creativity is shared for the sake of others liking it before you like it. We need to take a step back and reflect on what we are making or sharing and why we are making or sharing it.

I’ve learned through owning small businesses that people pick up on authentic work that comes from the heart and has more meaning. If people simply copy what’s trending in any form of creativity, people’s work gets lost in the saturation of these online platforms. It’s the unique creativity that connect with people and stand out the most, even if it’s only shared with one other person.

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Quick story of the meaning behind work we share:

Yesterday, my fiance and I took a spontaneous trip up to Peekskill, New York. With surrounding nature, the small town main street showcases community and beauty within the area. It happened to be Open Studio weekend and every artist had their studios open for viewing. There were also tented markets filled with artists. As we walked from booth to booth, we chatted with almost every artist. We stayed the longest and had the most impactful conversation with one artist who had found colorful plastic litter, and went through a long, creative process to turn what she had found into gorgeous jewelry. When I first complimented her work, she asked me, “Do you know what you’re looking at?” I had responded with, “I see mosaics, which reminds me of the kind of art my mom does. Is there more?” And she went into immense detail of the meaning and background of the pair of earrings I first laid my eyes on. Although I loved so much art throughout the town, I kept thinking about this booth, this artist, and I wanted those earrings because I’d always remember the meaning of helping the world in small, yet important ways.

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My background and how I got comfortable sharing my creativity:

I did have some practice with sharing my artwork early on. In elementary school and middle school, I submitted random artworks in shows and got 2nd place once. In high school, the AP art class I was in hosted showcases where people dressed up to come meander around tables and easels, soaking in a variety of young adult creations.

Through sharing this work, I often received honorary or participatory awards, or had to include a piece of art that I despised because there was a number requirement. I felt scared of what others thought and shame in posting art on walls that I was not proud of.

In college, I had little time to create art but I still found ways, like when I spent a week painting a massive banner to hang up for Spirit Week in front of our sorority house. After that, I told myself, never again - mainly because I was a perfectionist and spent way too much time on something that would be hung up for a short amount of time before never seeing the world again.

After college, fine art came back into my life. As a hobby, I painted with acrylic, watercolor, and later, oil paints. I bought an easel and a $30 desk that I didn’t mind if there was paint on it. In my free time, I bought canvases and new brushes to let my creativity go wild. And I’d go to museums with a sketchbook to just draw. As I started liking what I was making more, I developed an Instagram account to share pictures of what I was making. This was the first time I shared my artwork online. A few people followed me and as art was a hobby, I didn’t feel pressure to post or nervous about sharing. I got comfortable with the idea of taking pictures of what I made to have an online portfolio where I could look back at different pieces I’ve made. Again, this was more so for me than for others.

In 2020, I moved to a new creative endeavor - digital art. And this was the start of when I not only shared my work on Instagram, but also on a website I had built with price tags next to my artwork. Turning my hobby into a business was an interesting change because I had to then monetarily value my work. I had initial fear and this fear, I think resembles what many feel when they think about sharing any creativity in the world. What will others think? Will they like it? Does the price reflect the artwork? Do they think I’m charging too little? Too much? Is my work good enough? Many podcasts, videos, books, and calls later, I was able to overcome this insecurity. Now, I can proudly share that my work stems from many years of practice, and there’s a equation to price your work. This includes thinking through experience, time spent on the work, materials, size, and more. I am worthy of the art I put out in the world.

In 2021, I felt polymer clay in my hands for the first time. My small business changed course, I found a new niche - lightweight, clay earrings. I spent a long time learning different skills relating to working with clay and invested in materials to help make my craft better over time. I developed a stronger business with a new name, an actual brand, a UI friendly aesthetically pleasing website, and packaged with ultimate care to ship off jewelry weekly. At first, again, I was nervous to share but jumping over that hurdle, people were interested in my work and I consistently made sales. Through this experience, I learned I don’t love marketing. I felt the need to be very involved with social media, post consistently to try to beat the algorithm which never worked, and spend hours making Instagram reels. This led to comparing to other artists, lots of screen time, worry about what 3 likes on Instagram means about the quality of work I made, and how stressful keeping sales up to date for people to click on your website. The in-person markets were quite fun though and I hope to continue that again. By changing course, I learned how to strengthen my business and by doing, I learned what I didn’t like.

That’s when I made a choice to take a take a hiatus from my small business and a 6 month break from Instagram. During this time, I rediscovered that I can create for me. I re-found my joy in the process of art, rather than the completion. I painted one of my favorite pieces in our apartment, an orange and blue watercolor painting that resembles a blue sky over sunset and water, that brings a smile to our faces every day. At this point, I no longer had my old easel and my fiance bought me a gorgeous wood easel for a birthday. Here, I learned you don’t always need to share what you make. Sometimes, it’s just for you.

After I realized I don’t want to continue posting my art on Instagram as a platform in a manic way, I turned to a complete new platform that doesn’t have the same psychological functions (at least, for now). For months, I’ve been enjoying noticing little moments around me and practicing a newer art form for me, creative writing. In the beginning, I wrote a piece about a bike rider that told a story but my fiance has noticed my writing improve over time, which goes to show how practice makes better. I’m not writing on Substack to perfect a skill though. I’m writing to write out my thoughts, be creative in a new way, and share my ideas with others. I learned that my brain is very unique and people often don’t think the same way as me which is why I find sharing my Substacks meaningful and confidence-boosting. It’s a way to show myself that my thoughts are valid and authentic, without sugarcoating. Mostly family and close friends will read. Sometimes, a post will receive 150 views, such as my post about my Desmoid Tumor. It’s not about the numbers for Substacks though. Right now at least, I’m writing and sharing for free. When I get the monthly stats email, the numbers do make me think about how many others may connect with my work even if they never say anything. I heard a friend of a friend teared up reading one of my posts. Something hit home and it makes me proud to share work that others feel seen or heard through too. My confidence in writing has increased because my work has brought new ideas to some and connected with others.

And this all leads me here, my new creative endeavor. This was my fiance’s idea as another way to notice the little moments around me, something that has been very important in focusing on gratitude and finding inner peace. After researching and ending up at the B&H store in Manhattan, I came up with a brand new mirrorless Fujifilm camera and lens. I have a ton of learning and practice to do but I am already in love with this new adventure. I slowed down at Prospect Park and noticed a little rabbit nestled in some branches on the floor for the very first time, after 6 years of living in NYC and 4 in Downtown Brooklyn. Having a camera reminds me to slow down and notice the little moments that bring joy into my life.

This is the reason my friend’s question reappeared into my head. “How are you so comfortable sharing what you make with others?” I could say sure, I had practice showcasing art as a kid but in reality, each new artistic adventure has opened up a new fear and a new learning from it. Through starting to take photos this morning on my new camera, I humbly learned I have a lot of practice to do. By starting - by doing - I now have some kind of direction to go in. After looking at all 35 of my pictures today, I noticed what I loved and what I didn’t. I learned I need to focus on lighting - what settings to use and when, as well as how to avoid glare in my photos. By starting somewhere, I now have a next step. It’s a reminder to take small steps and see where creativity takes me.

Below, I’ll share some of my first ever pictures taken with my new Fujifilm camera. Here’s the starting point and I can reflect as I grow (and learn how to use light effectively in photography).

Final thoughts and takeaway:

In reflecting into my own creative background, I noticed personal growth throughout and also experience in many different art forms. Some people may say this type of path is messy or confusing, rather than choosing one artistic avenue and becoming a champion at it. Artistic success looks different to everyone. Success could look like a high value business selling work you’ve made or one painting you made that makes you smile in your home. For me, I’m not ready to define what my artistic success looks like. I’m still learning and exploring, which could look like success in its own because it shows the ability to try something new and follow one’s heart. What matters the most is how you feel about what you are creating and what you are sharing at a moment in time. It’s okay to share unfinished work. This gives opportunity to learn and allows you to start somewhere.

Share your thoughts! Have you shared creativity with others? If not, is it that you choose not to or is there something holding you back?