Doubts, Growing and Changing

Last week I went to a concert and while I was trying to let myself get carried away from the music I was wondering what made someone really stand out amongst this massive crowd of artists and people. Are you born with the x-factor or does it shine through after putting a lot of passion and work into something you like doing?  Or it only works if both are combined?  But moreover, if someone had this great talent that made him stand out and that attracted a huge amount of people to listen to or watch his or her art, what does it take to be more than just a one-hit-wonder. What does it take to keep going and not quit? Especially when suddenly you realize that besides the need of talent there is a string of consequences that come with trying to work as an artist. All this hard work for so little stories of success. When you face reality and the fact that you might never arrive at this complete inner satisfaction with your work and neither with your economic situation you definitely ask yourself at times if it is all worth it. And then there are always those moments where you ask yourself if you still really enjoy what you are doing anyhow. Because it never stops. Even if you have created something great, this doesn´t last and you need to keep creating more and better. And besides creating the art there is so much other stuff that you need to do in order to get your work out there. Does being an artist mean to be struggling throughout? Both in your mind and financially. And are those artists that really make it in the long-term the ones with a more lucky background?

Art feels as complicated as love. Sometimes you think you have understood what it´s all about and you feel like you can grasp the essence of it and you are on the right track to get where you want to be and the euphoric sense of success lightly strokes your skin. But like a bubble this can disappear in an instant leaving you feeling empty, full of doubts, stress and questions. Quitting can always be the right thing to do if you need this break or ending. And you can always pick it up again as well if that´s what you want. I think ultimately art is like a relationship – it gives you comfort, fulfillment and happiness but it also gets you down and challenges you. And you need to put a hell lot of work in it. It grows and changes with you. The art you do is you and whatever your choice or change is, the art will follow you.

Text by Sigrun Guggenberger
Photo by Anna Sastre on Unsplash