Ask CYOO: What if no one cares about my art?

Dear CYOO,

What if I make my art but no one sees or cares about it?

I assure you, every creator and artist has experienced this gut-wrenching fear that frankly, nobody gives a rat’s butt cheek about what they have to share. Sometimes every day, multiple times a day!

When this sort of anxiety kicks in for me, I like to take it to the extreme and really probe why I need people to see or care about my art.

So what if no one cares about my art? The worst that can happen is…

• Nobody will see or understand me.

• I won’t make money as an artist.

• I won’t believe that I am an artist.

• It’s just f*%ing painful!

I’ll then dive into each of these worries individually, thinking of other ways to satisfy the core need. If I am craving to be seen or understood as a human, I’ll focus on being more vulnerable in my relationships and friendships. If I am worried I can’t support myself as an artist, I’ll brainstorm other ways to financially support myself to take the pressure off. If I see that I’m relying on validation to believe that I am a worthy artist and the loss of validation feels demotivating, I’ll take a break from sharing and feed my inspiration/sense of play. If it’s not any of these and I’m fighting the pain of emotion itself, I’ll try some self-soothing techniques.

Any artwork or creation has the potential to be cared about, but not all will actually be noticed. Some of the most influential artists of our time weren’t recognized or cared about by the public until near or after their death, like van Gogh or Henry Darger. A self-taught, highly prolific artist, Darger was a known recluse who didn’t show his work to anyone else. His art is only known because it was discovered and publicized by his landlords!

Much like Darger, you are worthy of making your art regardless of whether it’s ever shared, much less seen. You may be creating in service to your own soul, or to tell a personal story. Your art or voice may resonate for someone years in the future and they just haven’t found you yet.

Though I think it’s a disservice to your artistic voice to cater solely to popular appeal, there are times when you need tactical approaches to get more eyeballs on your work. I’ll leave you with three tips if this is the case for you.

• Make something local. I’m currently working towards an illustration portfolio to land my first client. One of the most useful projects I’ve worked on is making a map of small businesses for my neighborhood, Cobble Hill. It was shared by many of the mentioned businesses, local residents, and even in this Cobble Hill & Brooklyn Heights guide! Making something for a tangible, defined group of people is a surefire way to being seen. By seeing that community in your art, they will also see you.

• Support other artists. No one should have to care about you if you don’t care about anyone! Share other artists’ work you like, read and tweet short stories of emerging writers you love, comment on others’ posts. Not only will other artists be the most likely to notice and support you in kind, you will also gain a priceless community and network.

• Where are the artists making similar work to you? Do you recognize your style in anyone with a larger following? What corners of the internet do they hang out in, and what publications or brands do they work with? Do some digging and make a list of places to submit your work based on these role models.

Enjoy this column and have a question of your own? Ask CYOO here, it’s anonymous!

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