professional – Paint a Mental Picture

Social media can be great, but it can also be toxic. Pointing out the obvious, I know. But I have a specific reason for that. As an artist, I know how easy it is to get sucked into the world of follow for follow and what not. This is my second post on this topic, because really it just makes me sad to see people burn themselves out chasing likes, follows and fame.

The truth is, there’s a sad reality around being an artist on social media. And it’s this; for every artist who gets recognition, there’s hundreds who give up on their craft, or their aspirations to be a good or great artist, because they think no one is paying attention to their work. They think, “if no one likes my work, this means I’m no good,” or the like. This is not the case. I’m going to be blunt here, I’ve seen many great, skilled artists with very few followers on Instagram, while those with limited skill have thousands. I myself have under 300, and this used to bother me.

And then, the other day, I saw on Facebook someone griping about not being able to get above 750 followers, because people followed and unfollowed days later, and so posted her link on a few art pages for people to follow. This was responded to with the dreaded ‘follow for follow’ requests.

Now, I think what her problem was was that each person who unfollowed was formally expecting a follow in return, and so stubbornly clicked that button in protest. So many artists want something in return for their simple click of a button, and that is how it has become such a powerful action, the difference, for some, between having a day confident of one’s skill, or thinking you’re a failure because not enough people liked your latest post.

But I’ve being thinking about this during this pandemic. Afterall, if anything it has been a time for reflection, where social media has become such a prized tool for networking, what with an opportunity for small businesses to potentially thrive in the face of mass store closures. Drawing may be your income, but for those of us who just like to create, where do you draw the line?

This is how I see it;

1. Being an artist is often about reciprocation ; you’ll get a follow or a like because people like your work. Sometimes, however, it’s because they want your likes and follows in return.

2. If you draw for likes, you’re not creating for good reasons ; drawing is such a sharable, useful skill. But what is the point in doing something that ought to be relaxing, inspiring or just something that is meant to bring you joy, if you’re going to get stressed and miserable over it instead?

3. Stick to what you’re good at ; some people can pluck an idea out of their head, and put it to paper. Others can replicate a face directly with pencils. But if you have a niche, no matter how obscure it is, that will bring you much more happiness than attempting a shareable fan art piece of the latest movie character you probably don’t care about.

4. Think about turning art into your income; really think about it. Drawing day in and night out might sound like a tremendous gift, but do you really want to turn something you love into a chore? I remember when I was fourteen, having started my GCSEs at school, and I chose media instead of art. I was told this was stupid numerous times because, for me, they thought art would be an easy win. Even one of my teachers told me I wasted a GCSE. But I also love film, and thats why I chose media studies. It wasn’t wasting a qualification in anyway, and if anything, I feel I love my skill more because I have a choice in it. But customers, in short, can be crabby. Most are delightful, don’t get me wrong, but you also get the ones who don’t understand that a drawing is an interpretation, not a print out. Drawing is a honed skill with a person’s hand doing it, not a soulless computer. It takes time, resources and confidence to put yourself out there, and confidence can shatter just like that.

I’m not trying to put anyone off. In fact, I’m trying to be that pragmatic person who wants artists to keep loving what they do. If you don’t get so many likes as you thought you would, that’s okay. Van Gogh was questioned, doubted and insulted for his percieved lack of skill, and today is arguably the most celebrated artist of his generation. There’s so many of us now, and so much talent out there. Talent shouldn’t be wasted on shallow things such as likes.

I’ve always said that as long as I get on with my colleagues, can support myself, and not dread going into work every day, I’ll be happy in what ever I do. We are all cogs, paramount in keeping the world turning.

A couple of times however, I have doubted my own stance. For most of my working life, the jobs I have had had fulfilled the above. But I always felt I could do more. Those around me expressed that they thought I could do more. Sometimes, it makes you think that just being content isn’t the be all and end all.

But should pushing yourself to fulfill your potential mean sacrificing your comfort?

Today, we are encouraged to look after our mental health much more than we used to. But there are still gaps, reminiscent of the days of not so old, in which employers exhibit a kind of disregard for their employees. Mental health related sick days are still fairly unheard of. For most, the idea of calling in to work after a panic attack and telling the truth about why you don’t want to come into work might seem either mortifying, weak, or may actually be detrimental to our job security. But remember, you’re working to live – not living to work.

Back in 2019, I was between jobs, and got accepted by a pensions company in my area. It was perfect for me. I knew people there, it was close by. Upon starting, I discovered an array of career advancement opportunities that were preached to us every day for the three week long initiation. Plus, I love a good course. There were courses aplenty. Further, the place had its own coffee shop and a canteen that served steak on Thursdays.

But then the proper training started. The office was filled with either the prototype company people who can’t say a bad word (like, can’t) and the ones who’s souls had left and never came back. And while everyone else was to start on a simple task to get to know the system, another trainee and myself were put on the most complex one there was. No one agreed with this choice, but our team leader had none of it.

Over the next two months, I had one long cold and many chats with my coworker about how bad our lot was. We trained for weeks, and picked up only a hand full. Each catch up with our TL left us more disenchanted with the place, and more than a reasonable amount of my wage was spent on ham and cheese croissants just to make the day bearable. For lunch, I would take a walk. Each time I left the building, I had to drag myself back.

Then came the day when people started leaving. By the time I had made my choice to try and like the place, over half of my intake had vanished, never to be seen again. Stress was the leading reason. On my last day, I took a stroll to the local pond, and told myself I could just not turn up again. It was bad work practice, but hell, it would be satisfying. My coworker had also caused herself so much stress that she disclosed to me some personal health issues she’d been having.

The following day I called in, and left.

Preceeding this, I had taken 2 consecutive sick days due to a panic attack the night before. I requested a meeting with my TL to discuss moving onto another task, but she monopolised the conversation with my errors, ignoring or disregarding my points. It was an office with a high staff turn over, so they couldn’t afford for people to move.

So, what was so stressful about this job? Nothing, really. And yet, it was stressful nonetheless. It wasnt the job, it was the work environment. Unreasonable expectations of new, fresh starters. Above all, a hypocritical attitude that we should be, among other skills, able to handle mentally vulnerable customers with due care. What about us?

The thing is, while work places have taken strides in mental health education and awareness, some of them have been dragged kicking and screaming into acknowledging that they employ humans with minds and emotions. There’s still a long way to go, and, while it may not sound like a biggy, remember; work is a staple of our routine. It’s something we do every day. Would you rather do something that’s judged as worthwhile at the cost of your happiness? My fiance did; he went down the teacher route. And goodness, he hated it. Ironically, he moved to the place I discussed above, and while it’s not perfect, its a damn sight less stressful.

Tag: professional

Work Anxiety – Is Your Career Worth It?