I’ve written before about the tension between making art and sharing it, but it keeps coming up because it feels like one of the great struggles of our time—not just for artists, but for anyone navigating life in the digital age.
The internet has given us incredible tools to connect, inspire, and share our work with the world. Platforms like Instagram allow artists to reach audiences we never could have dreamed of a generation ago. But there’s a hidden cost when we let those little numbers—likes, follows, comments—become the barometer for whether something we’ve made is “good.”
The truth is, they aren’t. They’re a reflection of algorithms, timing, and trends more than they are a reflection of the deeper value of what you’ve created. The only real measure of art is this: did it bring you joy, meaning, or discovery in the act of making? That’s the pulse you should listen for.
Finding balance means remembering that creating is the point. Sharing can be a gift, but it’s secondary. If you can make peace with that, you’ll free yourself from the rollercoaster of external validation and stay closer to the reason you picked up a brush, pen, or camera in the first place.
It’s not easy—our culture pushes us to measure success in likes and shares—but stepping back and grounding yourself in the joy of creating is a way to hold onto what matters most. That, in itself, is an act of resistance and an act of love.
