The liberation of being an artsy weirdo

The social benefit of being an artist

Hi there,

Have you ever thought about how being an artist instantly puts you in the outskirts of “what people do”. Simply because most people you’ll ever meet are not making as much art as they’d like to (it’s the classic “oh, if I had time I would…”), and even less pay their bills with it.

This means that you’re somewhat of a social weirdo from the get go.

In the beginning you’ll feel scrutinized and judged, it’s hard. People will judge you based on their own experiences, perception and biases, which frankly have nothing to do with you yet you become the sponge. But there will also come a day when things change.

Probably some years down the road, when you’ve done enough “out there decisions” to the eyes of the should-pleasers, you’ll come to see your artistic status as a blessing.

You can literally do anything now.

Not only will you have proved to yourself that you’re capable of working under enormous pressure, creating something from scratch to fill the void of lacking fulfillment.

But also, nothing will come as a surprise to anyone anymore. It’s LIBERATING!

People will laugh, they’ll cry, they’ll assume. But they also know deep inside, that if anyone can do it it’s you (because you already make shit happen and have shown it over and over).

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Three years ago my husband and I sold all our furnitures, quit the house we rented in Sweden and moved with our then 1.5 year old to Montenegro, a country none of us had ever visited before. Crazy, I know.

One of the last upcycle embroidery projects I did before we left on our big voyage. I’ll put a final overview pic at the end of this essay.

Everyone thought we were lunatics.

Our stay there only lasted 6 months with an emergency move to Slovenia due to a car breakdown (long story), and our second daughter was born in an apartment in the centre of Ljubljana a few short months later (I still have to write this story in more detail to save for our girls..)

We were already outliers from the start, and I can confidently say that we are now in the sweet spot of being free to do anything, move anywhere or pursue any project, because nothing will be too out there (comparatively speaking). It’s just life you know, haha.

Another example…

Nobody thought we would sell more embroideries after our initial success in 2016, well… Here we are, 8 years, two kids, and 6 residencies later… and it’s still rolling. It’s just life, if you choose to believe that anything is possible, it’s more likely to happen.

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Since I started my professional life as an artist, I’ve drastically changed my perspective on what’s possible. Even on what life is about altogether.

Life, to me, not just the artist life but life in general, is about pursuing ideas and projects. This can be to create a business,  an art piece, renovate a house or move country. Whatever it is, it’s driven by curiosity to explore and expand what’s possible. It’s about pursuing ideas, whatever they may be.

The art is in the action of pursuing, and the experience that comes from that, (which can be translated into physical form through any art medium later on…)

As soon as you look at life this way; more things will start to happen. It’s incredibly dynamic and rewarding. Scary, but also exciting. Because you never quite know if your project will work out (our Montenegro project became a nightmare, but we also wouldn’t want to live without it).

I thoroughly believe that we only regret the things we never try. Because if we don’t try them, we don’t know. And once we try, we know whether we want to do it again or just pop it into our backpack of experiences for a future book. Books need stories, and what better way to collect them than through pursuing out-there ideas?

What’s fun is that the should-pleasers looooooove to read about the no-go-zones. So, if you embrace the social status of artistry you’ll most likely have a ready audience to launch your projects to as well. Win-win-win.

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To be an artist is a crazy ride. Vulnerable. Stressful. But it’s also incredibly rewarding, fulfilling, unexpected and… yes… socially beneficial to unblock your potential further.

I’ll end my rant with this;

Imagine the first time you meet someone and they ask you what you do. The minute you say you’re an artist, all their boxes they wanted to put you in explode, because they don’t know if you’re making cents or millions, are a nobody or somebody, have connections or live in isolation, a studio or three… it’s limitless, it’s HILARIOUS. But most of all; it’s a liberation.

So let’s embrace being your artsy self and life will level up, big time🔥

Thanks for reading!

Elin, xx

Oh, I’d love to know btw…. Have you experienced any social benefits to being a creative person? Do you stick in line, or do you challenge social narratives of what you should and shouldn’t do (assuming pursuing art belongs to the not-advices-column)? Feel free to share 🥰🙏🏼

Final picture of my knitted cardigan with new rose-embroideries to cover up unwashable spots inevitable when being a mother…

Ps. If you haven’t already, you’re warmly invited to subscribe to Follow Your Gut below to get more writing about my experience being an independent artist for soon a decade. Oh, and if you graciously honor me with a paid upgrade, you’ll also get access to my digital bookshop where you currently can download my e-book “When Will You Get A Real Job”. Thanks 🥰

If you’re not ready to commit (haha, I get it, I’m Swedish after all so I know it can take some Time 😉) come check out the archive for some more writing HERE.

The one who’s into embroidery can also follow me over in the

Petronella.Art Magazine

or check out my online classes in the Charles and Elin Academy 💕