Facing Fear Is Basically the Job Description of an Artist

I wanted to share something with you that’s been bouncing around in my head since our ride home last night from the Hatch Hollow exhibition. That was such a cool show. The art was beautiful, the space felt alive, and we met some awesome humans… and yet, the entire time, Klee and I were our usual awkwardly-introverted selves trying to look like we knew what we were doing.

Which brings me to the thing I keep thinking about.

Being an artist means living in a constant rotation of “oh cool… I’m terrified again.”
Every single thing we do is a push out of a comfort zone.

We put ourselves out there.
We show our art.
We share our weird ideas.
We get rejected.
We face crickets.
We push through doubt.
We get asked weird questions about how we look (especially by kids in school lol).
We get looked at like we’re strange for daring to do something many people don’t understand.

And somehow… we keep going.
Honestly, if you’re here reading this, you’re a freakin’ badass. Full stop.

People talk about bravery like it’s a singular moment, but as artists, bravery is the entire lifestyle. You wake up, you make something from your insides, and then you release it into the world knowing full well that someone might not get it, might not like it, or might straight-up ignore it. And you still do it. That’s not just brave… that’s wild, powerful, rogue-level bad-assery.

A Little Food for Thought

Last night reminded me that fear doesn’t go away just because we’ve been doing this for years. It just shows up wearing different outfits. Sometimes it’s a group gallery opening. Sometimes it’s launching something new. Sometimes it’s just saying hello to someone when your introvert circuits are fried.

All of it counts.
All of it is part of the ride.
All of it shapes who we are as creative humans.

How We Push Through Comfort Zones

Just a little something I’ve learned the hard, awkward way:

• Acknowledge the fear, but don’t let it drive. Let it sit in the passenger seat and complain, but keep your hands on the wheel.
• Take the small step, not the perfect step. Fear loves perfection. We don’t.
• Celebrate the weird victories. Did you talk to one human today? Did you post that thing that made you sweaty? Did you show up? Victory.
• Remember why you do this. Not for approval, not for permission, not for the algorithm. You do this because you have something inside you that won’t shut up until you create it… and you might as well share it with the world.

We are all out here stumbling forward together, pushing boundaries, and doing the uncomfortable, magical work of making something from nothing.

You’re not alone. You’re not strange. You’re not behind.
You’re an artist, which means you’re braver than you think, more capable than you realize, and part of a community of rogues who refuse to give up.

Love you awesome humans. Keep stepping outside that comfort zone, even if it’s just one wobbly step at a time.

-Rafi