Stop Drawing Only for Others: Reclaiming Your Artistic Universe

Imagine a distant planet, bathed in hues of violet, where creativity flows like an endless river of liquid stardust. This is your inner world—your personal artistic sanctuary, untouched by the weight of expectations, algorithms, and approval ratings. Yet, over time, many artists abandon this world, building their art around the demands of an external audience rather than their own creative instincts.

I know this struggle intimately. For years, I found myself tailoring my work to fit what I thought people wanted to see. Whether it was creating art that aligned with trends or producing pieces that I knew would get more engagement, I was slowly drifting away from my personal artistic planet. But the moment I started painting, designing, and creating for myself again, everything changed. This article is my journey back to that purple planet and a call to you to return to yours.

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 The Gravity of Expectations

From the moment we share our first sketches, we are caught in the gravity of others’ opinions. Whether it’s praise or criticism, each reaction subtly shapes our artistic choices. At first, it feels harmless—after all, validation is warm, comforting. But over time, this gravity becomes overwhelming, pulling us away from our authentic creative orbits.

For example, I’ve experienced this firsthand with my sticker designs. At one point, I was so focused on making things that I thought would sell that I started to lose the joy I originally had in the process. Every design was filtered through the question: Will people buy this? instead of Do I love this? This shift took me away from experimenting with new aesthetics and blending elements I genuinely enjoy, like weirdcore, cutecore, and dark, dreamlike themes.

Social media magnifies this effect. The moment an artwork performs well, the pressure to replicate that success builds. You might start choosing subjects, colors, and styles based on what gets the most engagement rather than what you truly enjoy. Instead of exploring freely, you become a satellite trapped in the expectations of an unseen audience. I realized I was stuck in this cycle, so I made the conscious decision to break away.

The Illusion of Approval

Approval is a mirage, an ever-shifting landscape that can never be fully captured. What people love today, they may forget tomorrow. The standards of trends, fandoms, and art communities shift like constellations in the night sky. If you build your artistic journey around these fleeting points of light, you risk losing yourself in an endless chase.

I remember working on pieces that fit within certain art challenges or prompts that were trending at the time, thinking it would be a good way to grow. But each time, I felt a strange emptiness. The work looked nice, people liked it, but I wasn’t connected to it. It wasn’t truly mine. And that’s when I understood—chasing approval won’t make me a better artist. It will only make me forget why I create.

 Reclaiming Your Artistic Planet

So, how do you break free? How do you return to the world where your creativity flows freely? Here are some crucial steps that I personally followed:

1. Rediscover the Joy of Drawing for Yourself

• Think back to when you first started drawing. What did you love about it? What fascinated you before you ever cared about engagement metrics or commissions?
• For me, that meant revisiting my love for sketching sirens, stars, and alien creatures—the symbols that resonate with my core identity. I started drawing them again, not because I thought people would love them, but because I did.
• Create something without the intention of sharing it. Draw just for the experience, not for the result. Some of my favorite pieces are the ones no one has ever seen.

2. Set Boundaries Between Personal and Public Art

• Not everything you create has to be shared. Keep a sketchbook or digital folder that exists solely for you.
• If you take commissions, leave time for purely personal projects that no one else influences. I remind myself that not every piece has to be for profit. My art can simply exist as an expression of who I am.

3. Embrace the Void

• Posting art and getting few likes can feel like screaming into the void. But remember: the void is where the stars are born. Allow yourself to create without immediate validation.
• Instead of focusing on reactions, focus on expression. Ask yourself: Does this piece capture what I wanted to say?
• I started drawing more dreamlike, personal pieces without worrying about how they’d be received. Some of them have become my most cherished works.

4. Experiment with New Styles and Ideas

• Try a color palette you wouldn’t normally use—perhaps deep purples, cosmic blues, and glowing violets, the colors of your personal creative planet.
• Mix mediums, explore new themes, or let your hand move without a plan. Play with your art the way you did when you were a child.
• I began integrating sigils and hidden meanings into my art, making each piece more than just an illustration—turning them into something deeply personal and almost magical.

5. Remember That Your Art Is a Reflection of You, Not Just a Performance for Others

• Art is an extension of your inner world. It should not feel like a performance where you have to play a specific role.
• Give yourself permission to change, to grow, to explore beyond the style that others expect from you. I’ve struggled with this because I love blending multiple aesthetics—kidcore, darkcore, fantasy, and sci-fi. But I’ve realized that this fusion is what makes my art uniquely mine.

The Power of Artistic Freedom

When you finally let go of external expectations, something incredible happens—you begin to rediscover yourself. Your violet planet grows richer, more vibrant, full of new landscapes and uncharted territories. You create not because you have to, but because you want to. You break free from gravity and float effortlessly in the expanse of your own creative cosmos.

I see this in my own journey—every time I return to drawing for me, my world expands. I reconnect with the elements that make my art uniquely mine. And in doing so, I find deeper meaning and satisfaction in my creations.

And in that moment, you realize something profound: your best art doesn’t come from trying to please others. It comes from embracing the infinite universe within you.

So, take your brush, your pen, your stylus. Step back into your violet world. And create for yourself again.

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Thank you for reading till here... 💜