After seeing so many other creatives share their work in unique ways – from wine bottle labels and postcards to wonderfully quirky road signs – I thought, why not put one of my own pieces out there? You know how I’ve been battling imposter syndrome and self-doubt for ages? Well, the art piece I had finally managed to create last month, well…it has been released into the world – in the form of a vinyl sticker.
For the longest time, I believed that becoming an exhibiting artist meant securing gallery space. But being part of the Expo Metro art movement taught me something different: if you want people to experience your work, whether it sparks a smile, a thought, or even a deeper dive into the personal psyche, you need to put it into the world. So that’s exactly what I did. My ‘LOVE’ sticker has so far travelled to:
BarcelonA
Amsterdam
Edinburgh
And I plan to keep going, continuing to spread a little creative love wherever I can.
Of course, this got me thinking. Why am I an artist? What do I actually want to achieve? What’s the end goal?
Ideally, becoming a selling artist would be marvellous but I know, as a relative newcomer to the art world, that might take time. At this stage, my focus is simply on creating and sharing because I love it, improving and experimenting because I can always be better and, letting the journey unfold naturally – overthinking only gets in the way.
For me, art is nourishment. Whether it’s hanging in a gallery, splashed across a wall as a mural or street art, or doodled on a café table, I find it all uplifting – political, satirical, strange or silly. Both creating and viewing art gives me a welcome distraction from the daily grind. More importantly, it helps my mental health.
Travelling has solidified that belief.