If you want to flex your artist muscles and aren’t doing so, then you’ve likely believed some or all of the following at some point about making art.

Maybe you have been flexing those muscles and still believe them sometimes! I know I do.

For me the qualifications one comes up from time to time, as does the ‘I’m actually not very good’ one.

The thing is, pesky thoughts like these don’t go away.

They might ease off but they do tend to pop up at vulnerable moments.

The trick is to see those myths for what they are and DO IT ANYWAY.

So these are the most common ‘reasons’ I come across why people aren’t letting themselves bust out the paints and get messy.

{Ack, I want so much more for you I could scream!}

Myth 1: Art is for other people

That’s people with qualifications, natural gifts, huge grants, gallery representation, a ‘proper’ studio and the mad skills.

Art is for ‘real’ artists. I shall just resign myself to appreciating what others make. Sigh.

Dude, art is for everyone! And I say that without a hint of facetiousness.

If my four year old niece can play with crayons and paper and be deeply satisfied with what she creates, then why on earth shouldn’t I? This leads into…

Myth 2: Art has to be ‘good’ to be art

‘Good’ is an arbitrary term. As someone I used to know would put it, opinions are like a**holes – everyone’s got one. {I know, but I’m making a point here.}

Are you really not making art because you know that what you produced wouldn’t be worthy of the Tate, or even a local gallery?

Isn’t that a bit like saying if a tree falls in a forest and no one’s there to hear it, it’s not a real tree?

Firstly, no one ever need see what you make for it to be valid, and secondly, I make art and I can pretty much guarantee you it’ll never be in any famous galleries.

That’s fine! I make art because it FEELS GOOD TO DO IT.

{Which is not to say I don’t want it to be good or that I don’t agonise over that at times, but the point is it doesn’t stop me doing it anyway.}

Myth 3: It’s too expensive

It doesn’t have to be. See ‘Making Art on a Budget‘ for evidence.

You can start with very few supplies from the kids’ section. Hell, you can start with a pencil and a piece of paper. That’s all some artists use!

Myth 4: It’s too late

This pains me.

What kind of culture allows its people to think that there’s a point at which you’re ‘too old’ to do something?

Especially if that’s something as fundamental to human happiness and growth as expressing yourself creatively?

It’s never too late. I don’t even have a why for that, it just isn’t.

Myth 5: I don’t have time

This one’s a bit trickier. Some people’s lives really are packed to the rafters with things to do.

A full time job, kids, a partner, a social life, a parent to care for perhaps.

I think it’s becoming more and more acknowledged that somewhere in there we do also need time for ourselves, not just for those we love {or soon enough we end up out of energy for both}.

Art isn’t everyone’s self care method of choice of course, but if you think it might be {one of} yours, it’s worth carving out even ten minutes here and there.

Doodling while on the phone, sketching while watching something in the evening or taking photos with your phone camera while out on errands.

All creative and fun, all just a little dip into the water, and who knows where they might lead.

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So yes. These are all in fact myths.

They are convincing stories we tell ourselves to hold ourselves back from doing something that deep down we know would be good for us in many ways.

I’d love to help you prove that they aren’t true, whether that’s through taking an ecourse , reading my book, signing up for Artnotes {which you can do below}, or just browsing around this blog for a while.

You could say it’s my life’s calling to help people express themselves creatively if that’s what’s calling them, so there’s plenty here!