“When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability. To be alive is to be vulnerable. I love, therefore I am vulnerable.” -Madeleine L’Engle Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art (Wheaton Literary Series)
Artists never stop looking behind the facade for truth.
That’s the thing about art. It involves us letting go of the status quo. It means giving up our safe spot in order to embrace the ever-changing nature of the real world.
At its core, great art involves vulnerability. And sometimes the cost of baring it all might be shame.[Tweet this]
Telling our Secrets
Making our art, can feel a lot like telling a telling a family secret. Secret telling, by its very nature, involves shame and fear.
It asks the question: What will they think of me once they know this part of who I am?
This is a scary question – especially if we have ever been made to feel ashamed for being curious or for wanting to explore different ideas.
The very act of making art exposes people around us to themselves. Art brings things to light. It shines a light on our own darkness. It throws a beam straight to the heart of our own messiness and says “See?”
Art opens closets, airs out the cellars and attics. It brings healing.
Yet, before a wound can heal it must be seen. And sometimes the very act of exposing the wound to air and light, the artist’s act, is often reacted to with shaming. Like bad getting bad reviews. Or others who tell us how dare you write, or create that rotten piece of art?
Since we as artists cannot control the criticism that comes our way, we find safe places to vent our pain. A spouse that comforts us or a friend who listens to get us through the hard parts of being an artist.
By telling our shame and vulnerability secrets around the art we create, we release ourselves and others from that darkness that wants to keep us locked up.
It means letting go of our comfort zone.
The Great Exchange
It’s not easy to let go of living in the place where we’re most comfortable.
We have been used to existing afraid to risk.
Our comfort zone doesn’t allow us to be the truth-tellers we long to be. For artists a new safety-zone exists.[Tweetable?]
This is the Great Exchange.
We move away from that which makes us comfortable and welcome that which fills us with fear in order to realize our ultimate goal.
The price all artists pay to create great art, is vulnerability.
This is a part of what makes the artist stand out from the crowd, but it’s also what makes us easy targets. For many people, this vulnerability also triggers feelings of shame, which is something we avoid at all costs.
When you create any kind of art, you connect with your audience. A natural part of that connection brings with it a certain amount of vulnerability. It’s a bit like waving a neon sign that says “Here I am. This is what I have to say. This is what I feel.”
You feel naked. Exposed. Like you are living on the edge of shame, which makes you feel even more vulnerable.
Baring Yourself to the World
Vulnerability is about the story that plays around in your head. Not the one you tell out loud.
Baring your real self to the world is about being willing to stand up in front of the crowd and owning what you have to say.
The thought that we might be shamed can paralyze us. We’ve been brainwashed into believing that perfection is more important than effort.
Each time I write a blog post, a book, a song or anything I put ‘out there’ I struggle with this. I think, “Is this really good enough?” Somewhere along the way, I bought into the myth of perfection.
Yet, that part of me is changing. I’m realizing that what any of us offer to the world involves removing all artifice to bring our art down to its truest essence. This means getting our art into the world in a way that gets rid of the hiding places and excuses.
This makes us vulnerable and increases the risk of exposing ourselves to shame.
Just because someone delivers shame to you, that doesn’t mean you have to accept what’s been given. If we as artists allow shame to be part of our vulnerability we allow it to destroy our work. It’s the ultimate blackhole.
The only real way to be successfully vulnerable is to separate the results of your art from your instinct to feel shamed. While someone can try to shame you, shame must also be accepted in order to be effective. We can’t make you feel shame without your participation.
Truly great art that moves people comes from the artist that has bared her soul. The artificial wall has crumbled to the ground and her hiding place is no more.
The beautiful thing is that now pieces of wall lie at their feet and they are exposed. The artist is now free to take steps toward owning the truth of who they really are.
This is where freedom begins and truly great art is born.
Do you struggle with baring it all as you create your art? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
