the artist syndrome.
Have you ever felt like giving up on your art because of the market, audience, and algorithms? I often felt that way—stressed, apprehensive, and even angry. Still, I had to understand that as an artist and individual, my work is not for everyone. The fact is that, as artists, we are prone to seeking validation and credit, but we sometimes struggle to sit with the reality that our work is not everyone’s cup of tea. It’s not anyone’s fault. It’s just how our world works. We expect our friends to like our work because they are our friends; we expect our family to like our work because they are our family. But what I have learned is that you have to be your biggest fan and learn to live in loneliness because once you do that, you don’t need anyone’s validation but your own. Learn to create without expectation; let those boundaries down, and once you do, the artist syndrome is relinquished. Let your work speak for itself; do not force the story. The work speaks, guides, and connects with the audience in many shapes, forms, and opportunities. Understand this, artist: it is not your fault that you are not getting the visibility you deserve; it is simply a fuck up ass, algorithmic system that determines who gets seen and heard.
