OK, now you are feeling safe enough to play and try things with your art, you can start to develop an identity as a creative person, as an artist. And don’t worry if it goes up and down. When you get a stronger identity, the doubts will go stronger too!
Getting an identity as artists starts within yourself. How do you think about artists and creativity? How do your friends, family, colleagues think about it? Many think that you have to be a genius right from the start. Well, that didn’t work for anyone. Others might think that it’s a luxury to be creative, only affordable to the rich. Creatives think different about it. It’s a way of life.
This way of life starts with becoming more and more aware of yourself, your needs, your habits, and than finding the right balance. You can start becoming aware with looking at your friends, family and colleagues. Who’s supporting you as creative person? I mean really support, making you feel strong when being creative. And Who’s making you crazy by enlarging your own doubts?
You might have some friends that are blocked too. Often they are the best in pointing out why it’s fruitless to try to create. And often it’s not more than self-protection, than the attempt to stay in their own comfort zone of not-being-creative, than making up any excuse to justify why they don’t create. Be careful with them, and don’t let them pull you down.
In the end, creating in a playful way will help you to find your identity as artist. Focus on your strong points, on having fun with it. Remember: artists are often seen as crazy or eccentric because they do things just for fun. So why should you restrain yourself?
“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast – you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.” (Eddie Cantor)