Don’t shy away from turning your world, your Art, your existence on its head!

I’m in a strange period where everything feels shaken and steered. I’m reaching an age where time is starting to push for action. It’s also down to maturity and through self-development thought process. I can feel the energy changing around me. I can’t see the results yet, but I know it’s in the process. You might be wondering, what the …? is she talking about? Honestly, I do wonder too. It feels like a combination of things is moving around me. It’s probably easier to start evolving through my art before I throw everything else overboard. In this post, I will help you begin to get unstuck and push for change, embracing the fear of taking action.

Change in art, creativity

The first area where I felt a strong need to change and listen to my voice was in my art practice, photography. I had tried to please the masses for years, creating work like every other photographer. Posting what I would call sugary, syrupy images with no substances that were saying very little about me.

I was creating work to please the algorithms, my made-up dream clients while forgetting myself. I was trying to fit in, while deep down, I felt utterly empty. It created a void inside me; I was ready to do anything for recognition and to get the clients in. Ultimately, it didn’t work for me; all the effort I put into my work hardly gained any recognition.

Now, when I look at it, I’m not surprised. I was putting so much pressure on myself to please and fit in; I was an over giver and undervalued, ending up frustrated and in a mess. Ultimately, I knew something had to go, and I decided to quit the race, refusing to be just like a photographer and embracing being an artist to use my creative voice because I had much to say.

If you’re reading this post and are in the same situation but afraid to break from the mould you created, this post is for you. I’m sharing these personal thoughts to push through, stop creating for an audience and do you.

I wish I had done this much earlier, but I didn’t have the courage or the mindset for it. The thought was with me for a long time; I was too afraid to lose. But now I don’t care anymore; I’m a creator, and the most important thing is creating and using my voice as an artist.

I still have much to share and want to keep creating. In the last three years, my photography work has constantly evolved; from the Quiet Rebellion Art Series to Art Nude, I’m getting bolder by the day. As an introverted Creator, I’m branching out and conveying stories through my art prints rather than photographing people. I’m taking a leap and sharing more of the bolder work that I need to be more open to showing.

It’s a challenging journey. I have been in my comfort zone too long, creating pretty images. But pretty doesn’t tell a story; you look at it and forget about it in a flash. Getting out of your comfort zone is tough. I just started practising a new yoga series online. While I got used to plodding along the same classes over and over, this series is pushing me off my limits, many times I want to quit, say sod it, but I am hanging on because I know that at the end of the day, my body will be more robust and more flexible, aligned with who I am aiming to be.

If you are a creator, it’s easy to get accustomed to success, but you are a piece of evolution constantly changing, so why keep doing the same stuff repeatedly? It’s scary because you might lose all your fans on social media and gain some new ones in the process.

Don’t be afraid to change; it’s only natural. You better embrace it, then. Deep down, you must know what you wanted to create but were too scared to try. What is your challenge? What do you want to say about yourself? You have to start somewhere. If you need more clarification on it, start developing your inspiration. Go to museums, visit exhibitions of artists you love, read books, listen to music and let it all evolve into an idea, write it down and develop on it. Then, create a plan to put it into action. `I will expand more on this.

Apply change in one area, and everything else will move.

Your art is one of many areas where you want to bring change. You might change your life and your relationship. Before your pot starts boiling and you jump into an overwhelming mood, it’s best to stick to one area and shake up the coconut tree. It will soon shake up the whole forest. (I could have found a better analogy, but you get me right?)

Change in art, creativity

How do you apply change in your creativity? I just read a post about the 10 commandments on Substack, and one of them was creativity first. What does this mean? As I explained earlier, for years, I created to attract new clients and get more followers on social media, but this was not who I was as a creative. Did it work? Of course, my heart was not where my head was. This meant that I had to step back and stop chasing the money, even if it meant finding additional income elsewhere than with photography.

Doing this helped me to take the pressure off. I stopped posting work that was not meaningful, and I started promoting myself as an artist and fine art photographer rather than a button pusher. And create work that is aligned with my message and values. Taking these steps in your creative business doesn’t mean that clients will start to flock en masse to you, but it’s a step to tell the world who you are as a creative and to use your voice. Instead of chasing the algorithms, I felt free and relaxed and attracted clients aligned with my values, choosing me because they wanted to create a story behind their brand.

Shaking everything up in your creative business is a huge step that you might not be ready to take right now, and that’s okay. These words are here to shake up your world and start thinking, but if now is not the right time, it’s fine whenever you are ready. I can’t wait to see how you are going to evolve.

Why it’s essential to take action

I just said it’s okay not to take action. Not feeling ready can also mean being stuck by fear and your ego telling you not to make a move. Do we ever feel inclined to create chaos in our comfort zone? Of course not, but getting stuck in your comfort zone.

Too often, we don’t realise we’re stuck, and I was no stranger to the feeling. There is a fine line between acknowledging that you must give up and the fear of letting go. How do you decide? Getting out of your comfort zone may not sound appealing, but there needs to be growth in staying within what feels safe to you.

This is the biggest culprit when it comes to moving forward. We are too scared of the unknown to let go. This is how I played it for the last ten years. I’m here to tell you it’s all worth it; taking a leap and making mistakes is okay. I have made so many, but it didn’t stop me from moving forward on the contrary, and I’m happy I did. My artwork finally reflects who I am; it’s so freeing to do me.

What’s your next step

This post is my invitation to take your next; try it if you need to be more aligned or in tune. . I’m not your coach or therapist, just a friend to remind you that you owe this to yourself. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.