We’re all on a journey! But, sometimes we become so focused on the future destination that we can forget where we’ve been and the things that have led us to the point in time where we are now. I think it’s important to reflect and look back at your story, and that journey, from time to time as a reminder to yourself of how you got here and how far you’ve come. Well, I had the chance to reflect on my own story recently, and take a trip down memory lane, when I was asked to be a guest on a podcast called ‘Career Advice for the Clueless’.

Have you ever felt like you’re a little misunderstood? Maybe you think about or see the world differently or your ideas and ways of expressing them are sometimes lost on the people around you? Or you feel like perhaps, you’re just not ‘normal’? Well… I’m here to tell you that I feel all of them but I’m trying my very best to embrace it because I’ve realised that I’m definitely not normal and neither are you!

What’s your art about? What are you trying to say? Have you found your ‘artistic voice’? Some big questions there so I’ll give you a minute to think about them… If you answered all of those questions with ease then hats off to you but, for some artists, me included, these questions might not be so easy to answer. But first and foremost let’s start with the main question, what the hell is your ‘artistic voice’ anyway?

Happiness is Bullshit! Look, I don’t believe this really for one second. I’m genuinely a pretty happy person and love my life for all of its ups and downs but, with blog titles like ‘Handle with Care’ and 'Melancholia’, I can see how you might think otherwise. I get it! Trust me I do, and I’m not unaware of the fact that the subject matter I’ve chosen to share with you here in Creative Nowhere Land, albeit sporadically, has been a little heavy or emotional and maybe not the most comfortable of reading for some of you. But what I will say is that it’s been honest!

What are you afraid of? What am I afraid of? I’m not talking about standard or everyday fears like heights, spiders, ‘insert the phobia of your choice here’. Obviously, some of those fears are sensible and supposed to be healthy mechanisms in our lives to keep us safe. But, if you look a little deeper, are some of your fears actually just holding you back from achieving what it is you really want in life?

Are you exhausted? Emotionally, physically and mentally? Have you lost all motivation and can’t seem to get it back? I know this sounds like the start of one of those awful American infomercials that’s about to try and sell you some wonder drug cure but, stay with me, it’s not… Burnout! It’s one of the buzzwords of the moment and now, unfortunately, I understand why. I burnt out! So, what’s burnout? How’s it impacted me? And what can you do to try and reset and reignite some fire?

Are you an artist? What qualifies a person to be an artist? When is it OK to start calling yourself an artist? These are questions that I’m sure every creative person has asked themselves at one point or another throughout their journey. I guess, like art, it’s subjective and it depends on how you define it right? Do you have to have a degree in art, exhibit your work in galleries, achieve awards, recognition and fame from the art establishment, make money from your art, wear a beret and talk shit or are you an artist through the simple act of creating? It’s a minefield really and a question I’ve contemplated myself many times… Am I an artist? But why do I or anyone creative for that matter even question it! Oh yeah, that’ll be that evil beast, Imposter Syndrome! ‘What’s that?’ I hear you ask! Well, we’ll go into all of that and I’ll share a few helpful tips on kicking its evil ass! But first, let’s try and define what an artist is!