Why Art Should Not Have a Safe Space

I have always been overprotective of my art. After hours of bringing it to life, playing with the colors and details, it's hard not to become attached to it. When finished, the artwork becomes more than that which it depicts, it is a representation of what I am capable of.

The oil painting below took me about 4 hours to complete. I was proud of it, especially considering the fact that I hadn't picked up the brush in the past 4 years.

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But then one night an accident happened.

The fact that I didn't consider it one of my best works of art kept me sane.

And then one day a good friend of mine said something that stuck. "You can't be so attached to your art. You don't know how others are going to respond to it."

This automatically hit me. I thought of past conversations with people who had asked me if I would one day sell my art, to which I responded "never." At the time, I explained that I considered my art too special, too much of a treasure, and that I would only pass it on to someone who I knew would appreciate it. I could not bear with the thought of prescribing my art to a life of the unknown.

That is when I had an epiphany: I am afraid, afraid of exposing my art and creativity because it may be mistreated/stomped on/broken/ignored. I have forgotten that society includes people from all over the world with different viewpoints and ideas. I have forgotten that it is impossible to be accepted by everyone. Becoming attached to my artwork is setting myself up for failure, and I am convinced that this is keeping me from reaching my full potential.

I am thankful for this incident. The tearing of my artwork into two forced me to break free of the illusionary safe space that I had created for it and for myself. With this in mind, I will be free; able to explore my true self as an artist.

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