I never thought making art would lead me here—exhausted, stuck, and oddly disconnected from the thing I love most.
Creating?
That part comes naturally.
It’s breathing. It’s healing. It’s mine.
But promoting it?
That’s where it all starts to feel like a chore.
The constant need to post, share, sell, repeat.
To stay “relevant.”
To beat the algorithm.
To turn something deeply personal into content.
It wears me down.
I didn’t become an artist to be a marketer.
I didn’t pour my heart into this just to feel like I’m shouting into the void, hoping someone—anyone—will hear me and care.
I feel trapped.
Like I’m always chasing visibility instead of embracing creativity.
Like the joy of making gets overshadowed by the pressure to promote.
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The Shift I’m Learning to Make
But here’s the shift I’m slowly learning:
Promoting my art isn’t just about sales.
It’s about sharing stories.
It’s about reminding people they’re not alone.
It’s about putting something kind, beautiful, or meaningful into a noisy world.
When I look at it that way, it changes everything.
Because my merch isn’t just merch—it’s an extension of my voice.
It carries messages I believe in: about mental health, about self-expression, about hope.
And maybe, just maybe, someone out there needs to wear those words like armor.
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What I’m Doing About It
So what can I do about this feeling of being trapped?
I’m learning to shift how I promote my work—from pressure to purpose.
Here’s what I’m choosing instead:
Reframe promotion as connection, not performance.
Focus on building community, not chasing numbers.
✨ Market in a way that aligns with my values, not forced trends.
Rest when I need to. Show up when I’m ready.
Remember why I started. Not for fame. Not even for profit. But to create something real. To help others feel seen.
If you’re here, reading this—you’re part of that “why.”
Thank you. Truly.
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Want to see the messages I’ve poured into my designs? Explore the art I share with the world here. And if this post resonated, feel free to comment or share—let’s keep the honest conversations going.
