Navigating Success
A recent reel sharing one of my jellyfish paintings is kind of a hit. So far, it’s gotten over 50,000 views, 300+ comments, and 2000+ interactions.
I spent the days following that successful reel journalling extensively. Sorting out my feelings and figuring out how to keep myself safe. I need to feel that I can be comfortable showing up as my authentic self.
Compare and Contrast
Part of why I’m so proud in that video is because I persevered through all of the art I’ve made and felt the joy of being able to compare the difference between almost 12 years ago and now.
That growth was so plainly displayed.
The fact that my first jellyfish piece has a 12 on it is a big deal. Most of my work from that time wasn’t dated because I was mainly creating artwork for my own home, and I hadn’t developed a consistent method for finishing my work. It wasn’t until the last 4 years that I started dating things consistently.
But past Nik had enough foresight to sign and date that particular piece.
The older jellyfish painting was fun to make, and I love it. I’m also aware of my limitations at the time, and there are a lot of flaws that I wasn’t able to overcome at that time.
Now, I can look back and see how far my skills have progressed.
Success is Scary
When I think of the sheer numbers surrounding this reel, it’s overwhelming.
More people have seen this vulnerable reel than lived in the city I grew up in, and I’ve had more likes than the population of the village I currently live in, with more interactions than the population of our village in the summer… This is a big deal.
It’s humbling.
It’s exciting.
It’s important to me to recognize all of the pieces that make up the success. It’s also important to plan for it.
Chase What You Want
I always planned to be a successful artist that sells their own work. And I always believed that if I wanted to paint a picture, I needed to use my words.
I have a very extensive vocabulary and I have tons of literary experience. The difference between writing and painting is that every time I’ve felt success as a writer, I didn’t feel the need to protect myself quite as intently because my face wasn’t out there.
I am cautious about success now, with everything being online. And I can recognize that this comes from having to spend my entire life hiding for my own safety.
Naturally, I still want to hide, and it makes me nervous about being vulnerable.
At the same time, everyone has been really amazing. I thought I might have to deal with unkind comments, but there hasn’t been any of that, aside from some mis-gendering. Everyone has been kind, and even protective of me.
This particular feat of success doesn’t translate to dollars, unfortunately. Hopefully this exposure will encourage more folks to buy my art!
Check out my shop here!
