In episode 11: we hear about how loneliness can appear in your art practice, what that may feel like and how to foster connection with other artists Artists mentioned in this episode: Honorata | Marieke Blokland | Miranda Meulenkamp |Tamara Laporte Key takeaways: When talking about loneliness we could mistakenly conflate solitude with loneliness.Solitude is more self-imposed and good for growth, it feels like a choice, loneliness can sometimes be imposed by others, and often feels less like a choice.Sometimes the way we feel about people as a whole, is determined by the type of people we engage with and the environment in which we engage with them. As an example, we could feel we don’t like people, when we could just be meeting the wrong people, in the wrong formatYou don’t need to be with someone in person to engage with them meaningfully or connect.You can create and collaborate with others online, sometimes with more security or autonomy and comfort, than in person. A current feeling of loneliness could sometimes be a past loneliness that you’re re-experiencing, which is valid.Music, podcasts, body-doubling, and vlogs are effective ways of working with your loneliness in the studio or in life. It’s OK to need and use tools.When in an uncomfortable silence, feeling the compulsion to break it, you can ask, am I in this moment feeling a need to influence any thought this person might have of me? OR is it genuine yearning to connect?When we connect with other people or artists, we could start seeing things or ourselves through a different lens.When you have a fear of loneliness or a fear of hurting other people, you might come across a person who wants to engage with you, but does it in a way that violates boundaries or makes you feel uncomfortable.In that moment ask yourself: does this drain my energy, are we both getting a nett win from the interaction? Then choose your response time and whether you give attention to the interaction, as what you give attention grows. Remember that you cannot be everything to everyoneCultivate self-awareness around other people, so that you can go where friendship wants to blossom, at the same time, have some healthy confidence, that you are cool, and people DO want to meet with you. Loneliness and unworthiness can sometimes work hand in hand, and help each other self-fulfilSo dear listeners, please remember you are worthy of love, of friendships, and cool art dates! Enjoyed the podcast? Please rate, review & share it with anyone who might enjoy it or find it useful! Thank you for joining us! Email us: [email protected] (you can let us know what you enjoyed, what your 'AHA' moments were, or any questions you'd like us to answer or topics you'd like us to discuss in a future episode) Iris Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iris.impressions.art/ Tamara Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruskea_art/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.