Why You Might be a “Sell Out” without knowing it (And how to get over it)

If you are a creator of any kind, you know the joy of sharing something you’re passionate about with other people.

When people enjoy what you have created, it gives you an altogether different kind of boost of confidence.

For me, the biggest challenge is the feeling of being a “sell out”. The feeling of not staying true to myself. It haunts me even though the people reading my work are mostly close friends and family. And as much as I’ve read about it, most artists face this fear at some point in their life.

I will talk about some thoughts which dawned on me about this entire process after analyzing my feelings about it. Feel free to let me know what you think of it.

Whenever any particular piece of my work starts getting appreciation,

I feel like it narrows down my creative field of vision.

It shuts my mind down to new possibilities. To new ways of looking at things.

If people like a certain type of my work, or a certain style, my mind has this subtle tendency of gravitating towards doing that style of doing things from the next time.

In case of writing, for example, my words will automatically shift towards a particular style of writing. The style which I used in my most popular/ recently popular article.

What my mind easily ignores here is people liked my work in the first place because it offered a unique perspective. Or a unique way of telling something I saw.

If I go on with the similar way of expressing — it eventually becomes boring. At least for me, if not for people who read my work.

It will beat the whole purpose of why I got into creating art — which was because I had complete freedom to do anything with it.

This is what I believe being a “sell out” essentially means. You start putting the priorities of people who appreciate you over your art. Or any other priorities over your art. Painting a picture the way they like to see it, instead of how you actually see it.

“Giving the people what they want” — this never works with art.

It works for business, not for art. Which I why I believe art should NEVER be mixed with business.

Whereas, the real purpose of art is just to be. As an expression of something unique. Regardless of whether anyone likes it or not.

There is a beautiful phrase in French Language for this — “l’art pour l’art”, which means “Art for Art’s Sake”.

Which is how all art should be. Self sufficient in what it is. There is no answer to the question “Why did you create this piece of art?”

And if you look at it closely, reveals a unique perspective on how to live your life too. You should do things, not because you HAVE to do them, or you NEED to do them, but just for the sake of doing it.

Laugh for the sake of laughing. Love for Love’s sake. Create Art for Art’s sake.

Did this article help you? Do you like this advice or hate it? What other problems do you face as an artist? How do you overcome them? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!