Tiny Steps Toward Liberation: 1/25
From the journal January 2025:
Oh, the art I would make if I didn’t have to worry about being mediocre just to sell it. What a tantalizing thought! I’ve been mulling over this idea lately, imagining the vibrant colors and bold strokes I would unleash if I weren’t shackled by the fear of turning people off. There’s a whole universe of creativity waiting to burst forth if I could shake off the anxiety of marketability and acceptance. What if I could dive into the depths of value or explore uncomfortable intensity? What if I could create pieces that tackle subjects that everyone tiptoes around, the topics no one wants to discuss openly?
I often find that the art I carry with me, the art that lingers in my mind long after I’ve experienced it, isn’t necessarily what’s conventionally beautiful. No, it’s the work that provokes thought, that stirs something inside me. It’s intellectually pleasing, even if it’s not aesthetically perfect. Those pieces challenge me, confront me, make me question my own beliefs and perceptions. They rattle my brain in a way that can be both exhilarating and terrifying.
This year, I want to take tiny steps toward that kind of art—the kind that makes me uncomfortable, that nudges me out of my cozy little bubble. I want to create pieces that scare me, not because they reveal my vulnerabilities, but because they dare to push boundaries. It’s that fear of alienating an audience that I think holds so many of us back. I feel this deep-seated belief that if I’m afraid to create for any reason—whether it’s fear of rejection or worry about how my art will be perceived—then that’s precisely the kind of art I should lean into.
Imagine the liberation! To embrace the discomfort, to welcome the potential for backlash as a sign that I’m truly stepping into my artistic skin. I want to break free from the constraints of pleasing everyone. It’s time to create not just for the sake of sales, but for the sake of my own soul, for the raw and unfiltered expression of what it means to be human.
Am I ready to explore the uncomfortable, the unconventional, the messy parts of my creativity? I’m not sure, but I know I need to and I really want to. I want to challenge myself to confront the art that makes me both excited and terrified. I’m ready to embrace the unknown, to dance with the fear that comes with being truly authentic in my work. It’s time to create art that leaves a mark, that resonates on a deeper level, regardless of how it’s received.
After all, isn’t that what art is meant to be? A reflection of our truest selves, a courageous act of vulnerability that invites conversation, provokes thought, and challenges the status quo? I’m ready to step into that space, to make the kind of art that might just rattle a few cages along the way. Here’s to a year of boldness, of embracing the uncomfortable, and of creating art that speaks not just to the eye, but to the mind and heart as well.
