i have talked about this many times. i even spoke of it when i was last here in Iceland. Art and Fear, at least in my experience, seem to go together. i find it impossible to expose yourself as an artist without having some fear. we allow others to criticize us, and we allow it in order to grow. we allow our talent/skill to be evaluated, spoken of, seen, poked, prodded, and we do it willfully. knowing all the time that there are people who will love what we have to offer, and those who will never ‘get it’.

for those who claim they never feel any fear, maybe you are not exposing yourself enough in your art, maybe there is more of you we need to see.

as a photographer, there is always the comment ‘you must have a really nice camera’, or well my son/daughter/family member can take this picture with their phone. its not that big a deal”, or even better “photography is not really art if all you are doing is representing what everyone can see for themselves”.

but there is a difference. every photographer has a nuance, a style, an emotion they imbue into their work. something that – at least for those that ‘get it’ – makes them understand a bit more of the vision, they eyes, the heart, that the artist put into this image.

as a writer, there is also the ever-present “why am i reading this?”, “why does this matter to me?”.

there is a level of intimacy that is gained by the artist when they connect to those who view/read/feel their work. there is a connection that transcends the fear. the fear of the artist opening themselves up for criticism, and the audience’s fear of not understanding what is presented.

as artists we may become more and more immune to this fear, but it is, i believe, always there. to simply expose your work without wanting to create a connection is akin to painting your house. its your house and you will paint it whatever damn color you please, but art…is a house you build in the intimacy of your audience’s mind and heart, and you want them to accept you in that intimate spot.