Being afraid of one label sticking too hard is such an underrated kind of paralysis, it doesn't look like fear from the outside, it just looks like hesitation or indecision. The pool metaphor is exactly right too, most people don't realize refusing to fully commit anywhere is its own decision, just a slower and quieter one. Letting other people's shorthand define who you are is always going to cost more than the discomfort of just diving in.
I relate a lot to how you feel, and it covers an aspect of what I've been thinking about a lot recently. As artists we are often told to find our niche to be marketable, easily digestible for the brief onlooker, no misunderstandings, no room for error or confusion. I heavily leaned into that as well, thinking I had to choose between sharing my music or my visual art, even though both of them inform each other a lot of the time. Ask anyone close to me in my life, they will likely define me through both. And I am beginning to think that it matters less and less, actually. Because if we're going to think in target audiences, do I want my target audience to only be able to see people and their artistic output through one lens? Not really. And I am open to this changing as I am still thinking a lot about where to go with this and struggle with it from time to time, but for now this is where I am at. Thank you for sharing your thoughts so openly.
I know how you feel. I don’t know how to write music, but I’m a painter and writer so I know what it’s like to create, and I know what it’s like to have fear around your creative identity. Sometimes my self worth as an artist is tied to my ability to produce. I just finished an article about a very similar topic. https://ricjordanart.substack.com/p/i-dont-believe-in-art-block?r=8irgmq&utm_medium=ios
I also read the first part of the article. To be completely honest, I think you’re scared because you want to be everything. You’d like to be a writer and work in communications, but you’re afraid to step outside your comfort zone as a musician. I want to tell you that it’s okay to be different people; you can have multiple identities and give each one space and time. For example, I, too, like to write, dance, read… all of these are my identities, and I give them equal opportunity, but none of them takes precedence over the others or makes me lose sight of the others. So do whatever you want and be whoever you want to be.
This is honest and brave - the line, “I’m afraid of being anything because I want to be everything,” lands hard. Try small experiments and time‑boxed identities; growing into new things won’t erase who you already are.
This is something I find so relatable as a writer and poet myself. The beautiful thing about creativity is that it’s flexible, it a wave; powerful, turbulent, nourishing and cleansing. We don’t have to be everything and we don’t have to be anything. Our only job is to feel and process that, whatever creative means we use to do that, is art. Thank you for this. Just subscribed.
Being afraid of one label sticking too hard is such an underrated kind of paralysis, it doesn't look like fear from the outside, it just looks like hesitation or indecision. The pool metaphor is exactly right too, most people don't realize refusing to fully commit anywhere is its own decision, just a slower and quieter one. Letting other people's shorthand define who you are is always going to cost more than the discomfort of just diving in.
I relate a lot to how you feel, and it covers an aspect of what I've been thinking about a lot recently. As artists we are often told to find our niche to be marketable, easily digestible for the brief onlooker, no misunderstandings, no room for error or confusion. I heavily leaned into that as well, thinking I had to choose between sharing my music or my visual art, even though both of them inform each other a lot of the time. Ask anyone close to me in my life, they will likely define me through both. And I am beginning to think that it matters less and less, actually. Because if we're going to think in target audiences, do I want my target audience to only be able to see people and their artistic output through one lens? Not really. And I am open to this changing as I am still thinking a lot about where to go with this and struggle with it from time to time, but for now this is where I am at. Thank you for sharing your thoughts so openly.
Thank you for this lovely comment, and thank you so much for reading my article.
I know how you feel. I don’t know how to write music, but I’m a painter and writer so I know what it’s like to create, and I know what it’s like to have fear around your creative identity. Sometimes my self worth as an artist is tied to my ability to produce. I just finished an article about a very similar topic. https://ricjordanart.substack.com/p/i-dont-believe-in-art-block?r=8irgmq&utm_medium=ios
I also read the first part of the article. To be completely honest, I think you’re scared because you want to be everything. You’d like to be a writer and work in communications, but you’re afraid to step outside your comfort zone as a musician. I want to tell you that it’s okay to be different people; you can have multiple identities and give each one space and time. For example, I, too, like to write, dance, read… all of these are my identities, and I give them equal opportunity, but none of them takes precedence over the others or makes me lose sight of the others. So do whatever you want and be whoever you want to be.
This is honest and brave - the line, “I’m afraid of being anything because I want to be everything,” lands hard. Try small experiments and time‑boxed identities; growing into new things won’t erase who you already are.
This is something I find so relatable as a writer and poet myself. The beautiful thing about creativity is that it’s flexible, it a wave; powerful, turbulent, nourishing and cleansing. We don’t have to be everything and we don’t have to be anything. Our only job is to feel and process that, whatever creative means we use to do that, is art. Thank you for this. Just subscribed.
Thank you so much for reading!
Thank you sonic savor, I found this article to be very relatable
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