Howdy,
Have you ever sat down and really thought about what your story is? Like, if you were to write a memoir what would you say? What pieces of your life would you highlight? What parts of your story would you share? When it comes to painting I put little pieces of my life in each of them. Sometimes they are deeply personal and othertimes what I put in are just collections of things that I love. Mostly I just follow the thread of interest and then it's only in hindsight that I see what part of me was speaking.
That's the thing about sharing your story. You're already doing it. The problem I generally run into is when I have to do it in a way that is outside of my art space. It's warm ( although not right now ), safe and welcoming so I feel completely free to make and speak about whatever I choose. The second I try to make anything outside of my safe space I feel like I'm falling over myself. I think it's because when it comes to sharing your work you merge the story of the art with the artist and it takes time to be well versed in both. You have to build confidence because you are learning in public and you have to be gentle with yourself because you are going to make mistakes. Plenty of them.
Still, I'd rather deal with the fear of making mistakes and even the carnage of failure than live in the stagnant space of not trying at all. I've been there, done it and it felt like I was slowly dying. Do not recommend. So here I am, practicing sharing my story again and again. My blog barely reaches anyone, my vlog and other outlets too. But then, I don't mind that right now either. I'd rather make mistakes in front of a small crowd than a million.
So make a start. Tell your story. Write your book. Paint your painting. Sing your song. Whatever it is that you make I would love to gently remind you that it is imbued with the heart of who you are and let's be honest the world needs more heart. So go for it. If you're reading this and feeling stuck just get in motion. Re do something old. Take a small step beack before you start off on a new path. The world might not deserve your story but you have no idea who might need it. So many artists have pointed me back towards who I really am and I hope that in some small way I get to do that for someone else too.
Onward!
Big love,
Ryan James x
#selfhelp #tellyourstory #marketingforartists #artist