After a long period of preparation and anticipation, the excitement has settled. I look back at the exhibition feeling a lot of emotions. Time flew by so quickly that I almost forgot to enjoy the process itself. It is wonderful to have created something that I can display on a wall for others to see. The bubbles in my stomach were not from the prosecco we drank; they were a mixture of pride, excitement, anxiety, and happiness.
I am proud because I have worked hard to get where I am today, despite people constantly telling me that I am not good enough. There is no way I will let anyone stop me from doing things that are important to me. I learned the hard way, being in a destructive relationship, but I will never let anyone hold me back again.
I love how people reacted to my work, and it excites me. It warms my heart to see family and friends show up, and it gives me a great sense of gratitude. What gave me a big confidence boost was when strangers came into the gallery because they had seen my art in the shop window and decided to come in spontaneously.
Anxiety and impostor syndrome are always present, and I think many artists recognise the feeling of not being good enough and having a lot of doubts. I know it will never truly disappear, but learning to live with it and facing your fears and negative thoughts gives room for happiness. I balance being terrified with being insanely brave and passionate. The urge to create is always stronger than my fears.
I have no words to express how happy I am about the support I received from everyone who showed up; it means the world to me.
But how did it go? Did you sell anything?
I did, and I sold to no other than Magnus, the guitarist from one of my favourite bands, Eclipse. When he arrived at the gallery, I was playing my mixed playlist and, coincidentally, an Eclipse song came on, which was funny. I showed him around while feeling nervous. When I told him that I was starstruck and that I listen to their music a lot, I calmed down, came to my senses, and realised that we’re just two creative people who love music and art. We ended up having a very nice conversation before he bought one of my pieces of artwork.
