Artists, You Are Not Alone

If you are an artist, there are certain things you probably think on a regular - or semi-regular basis.Things like:"I can't do this.""I should just give up.""No-one would want to buy this.""If I was a proper artist, I wouldn't have these struggles.""I always ruin my paintings because I don't know when to stop.""My work isn't about anything meaningful.""I want to paint abstract, but I don't know how.""I'll never be as good as [insert your favourite artist]."I don't understand why that gallery/buyer/magazine is interested in my art.""One day someone is going to figure out that I don't know what I'm doing.""I'm not a real artist because I don't [insert whatever you don't do]"This is not an exhaustive list ... there are many other doubts that can distract you from making your work. And you may not have thought all of these things ... but I bet you've thought at least some of them.I know this because so have I. And so have the artists who are currently completing my "Find Your Joy" course. And so have the people in our Facebook group.The magic transformation came for me when I discovered that I was not alone. Once I met and talked with other artists, I found out that my doubts and insecurities were shared by artists whose work sells for 10x my prices and by artists whose work I admired intensely.And in a blinding flash of enlightenment, I saw that the only difference between them and me was simply that they didn't let their thoughts get in the way.That simple understanding changed my life and it can change yours too.I now see it as my mission to help women make their voices heard through their art and one of the key ways I do that is by connecting artists with each other. First I set up this website, then I created the Facebook group and now I am working on launching a podcast with my friend Alice Sheridan. We will talk about the issues we all face, we'll share our triumphs and disasters, and we'll giggle a lot along the way. I can't wait to share it with you!In the meantime, I just want you to know that you have company. That you are most definitely not alone.If you would like to read more like this, sign up for the weekly news bulletin every Sunday and if you want to get together with others just like you, come join our private Facebook group - you'll be welcomed warmly :)Image by Lenore Edman