Don’t let your popularity cripple you
Let me just open this blog post with a disclaimer that I don’t think everyone is like this and that these are observations based on a few people I’ve come to know over the years.
The boyfriend and I were talking about how it’s easy to get a following these days because of online platforms such as Tumblr and Twitter. It’s also really easy to showcase your talents and skills because of the same reason and because many have achieved success early in their lives this way, some tend to relish in the comfort of their success and stay there. This is something that we’ve observed in a lot of young people today.
The relishing part isn’t a big problem because you should be proud of your successes because that means you’re able to communicate and relate to other people, that there are people (other than your mother and father) who think what you’re sharing is beautiful, but it’s the staying in that comfort zone that creates a problem.
Whether it’s because of pride and ego or fear, some people just don’t take enough risks any more. Is it because you think you’ve already developed all the skills you’ll ever need? Is it because you feel that you’re already successful anyway so it doesn’t matter whether you learn more or not? Is it because you’re scared that if you push it too hard, people won’t like your stuff anymore?
Risking doesn’t mean that you’ll have to endanger your life because it can be as simple as saying something more with your chosen medium of expression than you already are. Tell a story with pictures, be passionate with words, be open to different methods (especially the atypical ones), surprise people. Don’t be afraid to push the envelope, learn something new, think outside the box and just challenge yourself.
We can always make excuses of how hard it is to do all of these things, that these are easier said than done but why can’t we even just try to do it?
“You’re only as good as your last creation.”
I think that’s something that all artists need to think about.
