Living as Yourself

Living as Yourself

As an artist, I often observe something interesting.
Even when people say they’re doing what they love—painting, creating, performing—they’re often still heavily influenced by the gaze of others.
In exhibitions and creative gatherings, it’s easy to find individuals who are more focused on how their work will be received than on what they truly want to express.

This tendency isn't unique to art.
A 2022 study by Zety surveyed 1,000 adults and found that 73% said they cared deeply about being evaluated or validated by others.
Even more telling, 65% admitted to pursuing goals based on societal expectations rather than their personal interests.
This is where art becomes something more than expression—it becomes a form of resistance.

In a world that often tells us there is only one right path, art shows us there are many paths, all equally valid.

It reminds us that progress isn’t always upward or faster. Sometimes, it’s deeper, quieter, more personal.
When everyone is trying to give the same answers,
art invites us to ask different questions.
That isn’t just creativity—it’s freedom.
The freedom to stay connected to your own sense of self,
the courage to shape your life through your values, not someone else’s approval.
Art doesn’t scream for attention.

Instead, it gently asks,
“Whose gaze are you living under?”
It invites us to put down the measuring stick,
and pick up our brush--
to draw the world as we see it, not as it’s been dictated to us.
There is great strength in being able to observe others following the same road and still choosing your own.
Art teaches us this kind of stillness and strength.
It offers not just expression, but transformation.
So the next time you feel the pressure to fit in,
pause, look inward, and ask:
What do I really want to create—and for whom?
That question may just be the beginning of the most important art of all--
the art of being truly, fully, you.