shelly-dax-portrait

Why do people think they need to tell me what to do? Why do people think they KNOW better for my life? I mean especially the people whose lives are not so nifty??

I get advice EVEN from people who are broke, overweight, unhappy and unhealthy. Even those who are in terrible relationships feel the need to tell me how mine should look. Really? (can you hear the inflection in that? REALLY?)

BUT what I am recently coming to grips with is the people who have told me that my art is shit. I mean for one thing REALLY? And for another thing SERIOUSLY?

How DARE you tell anyone their art is shit? “How VERY dare you?”

Have we not seen enough movies with the art or music teacher telling a kid they are lousy and untalented…THEN that same kid goes on to fame and fortune?

And not only that– ART is probably one of THE MOST subjective things on our planet!! Ummm…have you seen a Jackson Pollack painting?

Ok, ok, to be fair, it was a bunch of people from other states cyberbullying me on Facebook. No one in my real life has ever said “your art is shit” which does make it a little easier to take.

And yet, since our world is so integrated with the internet, and the voices out there are getting louder every day…it still hurt! (fucking chickens, hiding behind their keyboards!!)

But I chose to ignore the meanies (in fact made a funny video responding to their ridiculous posts, which I will share in another blog) and I just moved on with my life. Fortunately, I am confident enough in my own skin, and strong enough in spirit to LAUGH at the losers who waste their time tearing people down.

I also am blessed with a tremendous amount of supporters who love me and love my art. They keep coming back! (YOU PEEPS TRULY ROCK MY WORLD!)

So the clear message here for me is: I’m not going to please everyone. Some people will be drawn to me and the art or writing I offer and others won’t. So what? I’d rather build a following of enthusiastic fans and ideal clients, even if it’s small, then beat my head up against the people who want to hate, or slam or dis me.

As Elizabeth Gilbert says in her FANTASTIC book BIG MAGIC (and I have adopted as my own Goddess warrior CRY) “Go make your own fucking art!” (more on that later.)

Check this out: 10 famous people who make horrible art.

Ok so sheesh…HORRIBLE is an appalling word. But damn, if they can do it, anyone can.

And listen…people buy this stuff!!

Makes the old saying “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” come in to crystal focus.

Everyone deserves their own art, no matter how amateur or advanced it is. And each artist has their own fans, whether it’s MOM or a crowd of high falutin’ art collectors.

Art is good for the soul. Art is a skill that can always be developing and growing. Even kid’s art can be a beautiful, moving, inspirational piece. (Here’s my granddaughter Orin’s latest piece. She’s 6!)

Orins-Art-shelly-dax
I happen to think she is brilliantly talented and I am her number one FAN!

So if someone says your art is shit:
Big-Magic-shelly-dax

And please comment or share your stories of how you have dealt with naysayers, haters or know-it-alls!

Be fierce. Be kind. Be Badass!!

~Shelly

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