For years, I hid my art.
I kept my creative work to myself because I was afraid my surrealist photography wouldn’t resonate with others. I questioned whether anyone would understand it, connect with it, or see the beauty in what I was creating.
What I would eventually come to realize is that the very work I was afraid to share would go on to inspire countless people—and be celebrated.
I believe we are each born with gifts, talents, and a unique creative voice. When we choose to hide those gifts, we aren’t fully living the life we were meant to live. We dim our own light and feel lost. We leave a part of ourselves unexplored, and in doing so, we can lose touch with the passion and purpose that makes us feel truly alive.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I began pushing myself to step outside of my comfort zone. After reading Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art, something clicked when I read: “The more Resistance you experience, the more important your unmanifested art/project/enterprise is to you — and the more gratification you will feel when you finally do it.”
I was experiencing an incredible amount of resistance. I was terrified to stand in front of the camera and become the subject of my own work. I was afraid to act on the ideas in my head. I was afraid of what people might think. But I started pushing through the fear. And on the other side of that resistance, I found a part of myself that is truly me.
If you are feeling resistance toward something you feel called to do, I encourage you to push through it. Take the step. Make the work. Share your voice. Let your light shine. You will be surprised by what is waiting for you on the other side.