Being an artist comes with a price: high sensivity and extreme emotions, that can make life very much demanding.
While not all artists openly discuss it, the truth is, life can become significantly more demanding when you're an artist, especially if it's not your full-time occupation.
It's not just about art not paying the bills; many freelancers face similar hurdles when starting out in their respective fields, I know from experience. What sets being an artist apart is the heightened sensitivity that often accompanies this role.
The article summary:
Discover the Artist's World.
In this article, I'll tell you what it's really like to be an artist, which is not always easy. Artists tend to feel things very deeply, which can make life more challenging, especially if you have to work a regular job too. I'll share my own experiences of feeling on edge, sometimes even angry or depressed, when I'm not able to express myself through art. It can be tough, and it affects not just me but those around me too.
But being an artist is also amazing. I see the world in a unique way, and I can express my feelings through my art.
Is it worthy? I don't know yet!
Artists are individuals with very high sensitivity, and their art serves as a channel for their perceptions and emotions. Now, place such a person in a context far removed from what they'd ideally prefer - say, a monotonous 9-to-6 office job - and the contrast becomes starkly evident.
In such a situation, an artist might become agitated, depressed, or even exhibit moments of aggression towards themselves or others. This heightened sensitivity triggers emotions throughout the day. They may lash out for trivial reasons, experience unexplained aggression, or withdraw from the world, oscillating between appearing neurotic or numb.
Those around them might perceive them as troubled or irate individuals - and, in some ways, they are.
Right now I find myself in the very situation I was hoping to escape: the necessity of returning to an office job for the sake of my family. And it's incredibly tough.
Every moment spent there feels like a fragment of life slipping away. Each meeting seems like an ordeal for my soul. Every work-related issue is akin to facing a brutal demise.
The inability to channel these emotions, given that I'm not in my studio, exacerbates the situation. I carry these intense emotions all day long, hoping to release them onto a canvas at night. However, more often than not, these emotions manifest poorly and end up affecting those I love.
So, while I cherish the privilege of being an artist - seeing the world through different lenses, feeling emotions in their rawest form, experiencing life's subtle nuances, and effortlessly connecting with my soul and the spiritual realm - there's also a darker side. This very high sensitivity that allows me to savor life's tiniest details can become a blade that pierces my heart when I'm in an environment that doesn't align with my true self.
In moments when this dark side takes control, I wrestle with feelings of being a terrible person, yearning for an escape from it all.
The harsh reality of being an artist is this: you get to experience life at its extremes. Extreme joy and extreme sadness. Extreme love and extreme hatred. Extreme peace and extreme rage. Extreme courage and extreme fear. Extreme connection and extreme loneliness.
Is it worth it? I don't know. I simply know that being an artist is who I am, and I cannot change that.
Hello, I'm Renton, or you can call me Eman if you prefer.
I'm the person and spirit behind Where Art Meets Spirituality, and my purpose is to share my life and spiritual journey through the medium of art.
Whether you're an observer or an artist yourself, art offers a remarkable way to perceive the world, live life to the fullest, and evolve into the most incredible version of yourself.
