Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve noticed two seemingly contradictory trends. Artists and makers in my online community have been sharing that they feel guilty if they aren’t working on their art businesses ALL THE TIME. At the same time, I’ve heard artists and makers express guilt (or hesitation) over promoting their work right now or even working at all in the midst of all this social injustice and unrest.
This really got my brain working overtime. How can artists (sometimes simultaneously) feel guilty for working and guilty for NOT working?
There are a lot of factors at play here, but at the end of the day, I think a lot of it boils down to the idea that we (and I’m using the collective we here, as in society) don’t view art as a real job. (I don’t think I’m going out on a limb here when I say that either, as a maddening poll out of Singapore just overwhelmingly voted “Artist” as the #1 non-essential job during the pandemic. I have a lot more to say on that one, but that will have to wait for another day. For now, back to my main point…)
By not viewing art as a real job, it causes us to both feel guilty for spending our time on it AND makes it hard to set the boundaries that come (at least in theory) with a regular job. What a complicated mess!
I decided to dive into this idea deeper, so I created an IGTV video exploring these seemingly contradictory feelings. You can watch the video here!
Fair warning: I talk pretty fast throughout (and I promise I only had a normal amount of caffeine when I recorded it) and I swear a few times, so maybe toss the headphones on if there are kiddos around.
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If you can’t watch the video right now, here are the high points:
If you want to ditch the guilt around working or not working on your art business, you have to start thinking about it as a job. That means that it’s ok to keep working, even in troubling times, but it also means it’s ok to take breaks. You’re allowed to take time off, whether that’s to recharge your batteries or attend a protest.
Treating your art as a job in no way means that you aren’t passionate about it or that art isn’t incredibly valuable. I’m super passionate about the work I make and I LOVE working, but I also understand that sometimes I need a break. I can’t work 24/7/365. And neither can you.
It’s also important to remember, especially in times like these, that life isn’t an either/or proposition. You can promote your work and fight for social justice. You can believe that art has value and that Black Lives Matter. These things don’t cancel each other out.
As artists, we have to stop feeling so guilty for the decisions we make around how and when to work on our art and our businesses. Building a business around your art is a totally valid and worthwhile career (regardless of what random poll takers on the streets of Singapore think) and it’s ok to treat it as such. (And it’s also ok to treat it as such even if you aren’t yet making the revenue you want to be making.)
That means working hard when it makes sense, taking time off when it makes sense, and not feeling guilty or apologizing for either decision. It also means recognizing that promoting and selling your work are part of the job description, and not feeling guilty for doing those things either.
As artists and makers, we need to stop feeling guilty for promoting our work and stop feeling bad for not promoting our work all the time! Know that it’s ok to shout from the rooftops that your work is awesome (and that people should buy it) but that it’s also ok to come down from the rooftop when it’s storming or to take a break from shouting before you get hoarse.
I think being an artist is the best job in the world, but it’s only the best job in the world if you let go of all the guilt and baggage. Stop apologizing for the need to sell your art and never feel guilty for taking time off or needing a break. There are enough challenges to building a business as an artist or maker, feeling guilty about working or not working shouldn’t be one of them.
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If you need help clearing all the guilt and baggage that comes with promoting your work as an artist or maker, be sure to check out my new class, Sell Without Shame! This class starts by addressing all the mindset stuff that holds artists back (we’re going to go deep) and then pivots to show you actionable ways to promote and sell your art online. (Without feeling icky!) Click here to check it out now!