Finding the Silver Lining
It's been quite some time since I've blogged. A lot has changed, and social media has most definitely changed since my last post. New platforms have emerged, social climates have changed and now AI has entered the chat. What a time! Something that I have come to realize, is that though there have been new developments, a lot has remained the same. With everyone posting the wins, the highs, and the success stories, the struggles and hard times we often go through, seem to be omitted from what we choose to share. That doesn't seem realistic to me. Definitely not relatable; and if anything else, I always want to be genuine and relatable to my audience.
With that being said, I have a bit of a struggle story that I would like to share. I hope that it inspires someone to see themselves in this story and know that they can have better, be better, and do better in their own respects.
I used to live in a thriving art city a few years ago back in upstate New York. At the height of my career, I was in school, doing independent projects (solo and group), I was doing TV interviews, showcasing in museums/galleries, you name it. I was active. Life has a way of showing you that it has hands. And they work. VERY WELL. However; it was also at this height of my career that everything changed for me. My husband and I packed up the kids and moved to Ohio. Suddenly, all that activity went away. Not by choice, might I add. We moved and were here for about 2 weeks before Covid shut the world down and quarantines went into effect. Not that it needed to be said, but Covid did way more harm than good. Being isolated from the outside world and having to find a new form of branching out in a new city was damn near impossible.
Have you ever heard the saying, "Go where you're celebrated, not tolerated."? Well let's just say I'm in an area where I'm barely tolerated, and my current style of art stands ZERO chance at being accepted here. When it comes to art and my love for it, I am by no means a quitter. I may get knocked down a few times, but I always fight back. Me and art have a forever kind of thing going on. So I've made multiple attempts at reaching out to people in the local art scene here. I've attempted to showcase in juried art shows hosted by local museums, contacted the local arts council, etc.. NOTHING!
One instance in particular, was the time i reached out to a local thrift store and offered my services to create a mural for their store to help draw more attention to their place, beautify the area all while getting my name and my work out there for people to see. MARKETING!!! I was told that they needed to discuss it with the owner, and that upon their approval, we could move forward from there. Fast-forward to about a year and a half later, (they completely ghosted me by the way) and that same place is currently prepping their outside wall for a new mural. To say that I was angry when I saw that would be an extreme understatement.
I was upset because it was like a slap in the face. I wasn't even given the professional courtesy of being turned down. I was just outright ignored. When I talked to my husband about it, I came to the conclusion that, that mural was not MY blessing. It wasn't meant to be the project that would introduce myself to this current art scene. But to say those words, especially when you're in the heart of those feelings, is REALLY hard to do. Because even though I said the words out loud, I didn't believe them in the moment.
The point of the story is, it's okay to feel disappointment. To feel anger, pain etc. You're human and entitled to your feelings. Even the bad ones. It is perfectly okay to feel these things, especially when those feelings are valid. Just be sure to find the silver lining so you can have peace of mind. I know that my time will come when it's meant to. It may not be right now. It may not even happen for me in this area. But that doesn't mean that it's never going to happen for me. In the meantime, I will keep creating new works of art, I will keep promoting myself to whomever is interested and I will continue to grow.
That realization has taught me that it has nothing to do with my lack of talent, knowledge or skill; just that I'm in a place where I am tolerated instead of being celebrated. In spite of that, I plan to succeed no matter what. I hope that this encourages you to push through. To persevere and shine brighter than you ever have before. We all have stories to tell. I'm just trying to share mine with the people who truly need and want to hear them.
Keep Creating,
💓-Kareemah S.
