Being an Artist is Scary

There's no way around it . . . the artist life is fraught with fear.

I'm starting a new book. See the picture? Yeah, that's a blank plot board. You would think by book number thirteen it would get a little easier, right? Hah! Wrong. It's not. In fact sitting down to write another manuscript after a dozen is just as scary as writing the first.

Newsflash: It doesn't get easier. Ever. Why? Because being an artist is always going to be scary. I don't have any scientific evidence to back that statement up, but I do have a few thoughts as to why that is . . .

Art is subjective

Not everyone is going to get your art. You can know that and even believe it, but when a critic comes along and barfs nasty-venom juice all over your work, it still stings. That's a frightening risk you take every time you go public with something you create.

Not all art is equal

Your new piece of work might be suckier than previous creations. You're afraid people won't like this project as much as ones you did before. But here's the deal . . . odds are what you create won't be 100% awesome all of the time. You can always hope to do better, but the niggling fear that this time whatever you made might be a flop is always in the back of your mind.

The magnitude of the project is terrifying

Writing a book is a HUGE undertaking. So is painting a picture, designing an ad promo, photographing a wedding . . . whatever art it is that you're attempting to do is always going scare the bejeebers out of you if you care about your work.

Anytime you set out on an artistic endeavor, you're going to be afraid. It's the nature of the beast. The question is will you let that fear paralyze you or empower you to beat it back with a stick?