🎙️ Sharing personal work with the world- The highs, lows, and everything in-between
"I try to remember that at the end of the day, the things that I do are for me. For that reason alone, whatever you’re producing is worthwhile."
H: Today, we’re here chatting after our conversation with Geneva, and I think something really interesting that came up was the feelings of sharing personal work with the world. We both have some experience with that, and you thought it was an interesting topic. So, Grace, I’m curious to hear about what feelings have come up when you have shared work in the past?
G: Yeah, so for anyone who doesn’t know, I’m an artist and a photographer, and I’ve put a lot of my work out into the world over the years. Originally through zines, then through bigger projects, like photography series’, garments, books, etc.
I think naturally as someone that creates work, you want to share that art with the public, but the initial feelings that come up are typically a mix between being terrified and being really excited. You are putting something that’s very close to you, close to your heart, out into the public for other people to judge, and oftentimes that thing is something that no one else has seen or knows was being made in the background.
Navigating and accepting that feeling, as an artist, is sometimes one of the hardest parts, because you are willingly allowing people to make judgments and opinions about your work. You just have to try to sit back and let it be what it is without defending yourself.
G: How do you feel about it, Hollis? Do similar feelings to those resonate with you or what you’ve experienced?