I’m an Artist, but Sometimes My Biggest Critic Is Me

When creativity becomes another thing you feel like you have to be perfect at.

Here’s something funny about being a creative person with anxiety.

I absolutely love creating things.

Drawing, designing, photography, writing, digital art… you name it. My brain is constantly coming up with new ideas.

But you know what else my brain is really good at?

Convincing me that whatever I’m creating isn’t good enough. 🙃

I’ll sit down with an idea I’m genuinely excited about, and suddenly that little voice starts chiming in.

That doesn’t look right.

Someone else could make that better.

Why doesn’t it look like the picture in my head?

And before I know it, something that was supposed to be relaxing has turned into another thing I’m stressing over.

Seriously, brain? Can we have ONE hobby without overthinking it?

When Did Creativity Become Another Competition?

I think social media has made this even harder.

Everywhere you look, there’s someone creating beautiful artwork, perfectly curated journals, or designs that look like they belong in a professional gallery.

And while I love seeing other people’s creativity, sometimes I catch myself comparing my work to theirs.

Which completely defeats the reason I started creating in the first place.

Art has always been one of my ways to escape the noise in my head.

It’s somewhere I can express feelings I don’t always know how to explain.

Sometimes that’s through a photograph. Sometimes it’s a digital collage. Other times it’s a random little doodle that probably makes absolutely no sense to anyone but me.

And that’s okay.

Not everything I create needs to become a product for my shop, a blog post, or something worthy of sharing on Instagram.

Sometimes I just want to make something because I feel like it.

I’m Learning to Make Messy Art Again

One thing I’m trying to remind myself is that I don’t have to be good at something to enjoy it.

I can scribble.

I can draw something completely ridiculous.

I can use colors that don’t match or make a design that never sees the light of day.

And I don’t have to fix every little mistake.

As someone who struggles with perfectionism, that’s easier said than done.

But I’m learning that creativity doesn’t always need an end goal.

Sometimes the whole point is to let your mind wander and see what happens.

No pressure. No expectations. No worrying whether anyone will like it.

Just creating.

A Little Reminder to Myself (and Maybe You, Too)

If you’re someone who loves creating but constantly judges everything you make, here’s something we both probably need to hear.

Your art doesn’t have to be perfect.

It doesn’t have to impress anyone.

You don’t have to turn every hobby into a side hustle.

And you definitely don’t need to compare your messy creative process to someone else’s finished masterpiece.

I’m still working on listening to my creative side more than my inner critic.

Some days, that little voice wins.

Other days, I tell it to kindly shut up and let me doodle my weird little creatures in peace. 😂

Because sometimes creating something imperfect is exactly what my overwhelmed brain needs.

Just another 30-something artist doing her best-ish. 💜

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I’m curious: Do you ever feel like you’ve turned something you love into something you have to be good at?

This is a shorter personal reflection inspired by my original post, Let Loose and Just Create: Stop Listening to Your Inner Critic, on The Abby Juli Journal.