I don't think people understand some of the hard parts, or the internal struggles of being a creative or an artist...
Being a creative means continuously having to believe in yourself and your work. You have to be so patient and keep going even when you don't feel like you're making progress. It's not easy.
The blog below is based off a journal entry. I hope it may be relatable <3
3/8/2026, NL
Sitting in the attic, my "studio". Feeling a bit weird today. The Art Club event at the weekend was quite a success. It had the highest number of attendees ever. People seemed to really enjoy it. So why do I feel like this? A bit down.
Perhaps it's a type of comedown, an emotional dip. After so much planning, effort, and organising, it's over now and life just goes on. Pretty much back to normal. Almost as if the event never happened at all.
I feel like I don't have much to show for all of it. And it's not about the money side. I really don't care about that. I should, I know I should, but it's not that. It's not about the profit.
Maybe I was subconsciously wishing something really transformative would happen. Because of all my effort. I don't even know what that would look like, though.
If I let myself dream, maybe someone would contact me after the event, begging to invest in me and my art and sponsor a studio for me for a year. Or perhaps someone would want to partner with me to grow Art Club into a real business. Or simply, maybe someone would ask me to host an event for them.
But after the event, I got a few 5-star reviews. And some likes on Instagram too. Those things were genuinely so nice, but they weren't the kind of validation I think I was hoping for.
I've felt this same way many times before, after exhibitions and other events I've organised. I try so hard and put so much work into them, but they come and go. I go back to my job on Monday, and life continues like normal.
And despite them mostly going really really well, I tend to feel like they just weren't good enough because my efforts weren't compensated to the degree I think they should be (by the universe?). I start to wonder if perhaps it wasn't worth it at all. I get down. I get demotivated.
You know what I would really like? Fast, dramatic changes. A big life gesture or some sort of sign that says I'm doing good. Something that would say, hey, it's all worth it. You're doing great. You're doing the right thing. This is your path. Keep it up.
I wonder if that's what real patience looks like? To keep going without quick signs of success of big rewards. Probably.
Developing patience is my biggest goal this year, and it's so hard for me at times. Especially now.
But deep down, I know I just need to keep going. Keep creating, keep running art events, keep trying.
One reason being I'm hopeful that if I just stay consistent with my creative projects, they'll keep growing over time.
And reason two, because I know I'm happier doing my creative projects than not doing them. Maybe it's really as simple as that.
Let's talk about it
I'm super curious to hear if other fellow creatives have felt this way.
Feel free to reach out to me on Instagram or comment below :)
Looking for more creative inspiration?
For more tips and thoughts on creativity, check out these blogs:
The Artist’s Way: An Honest Review (From Someone Who Didn’t Quite Know What They’d Signed Up For)
How Scrapbooking (Glubeooking) Can Spark Ideas and Beat Creative Block