What does it mean to “express yourself”?
If you’re like me and you have spent any amount of time in creative spaces whether online or in-person, you likely heard people constantly going on and on about how you need to use your art as a tool for self-expression. However, what is often less talked about or clearly defined is what it actually means to express yourself.
So, If you’re just starting out in the world of art, creativity, and self-expression, or even if you’ve been creating for a while, but you’re still feeling really confused by what this all means, then this post is for you. Today, I break down what “expressing yourself” means, the benefits, and some common obstacles faced by women of color creatives. If this sounds good to you, then keep reading.
First, let’s define what it means to “express yourself”.
To express yourself means to share your unique point of view, your thoughts, your opinions, your feelings, your ideas, basically who you are with others. From this definition you can see that “knowing yourself” is an essential component in the process of expressing yourself. Essentially, you need to have a clear sense of “self” before you can express it. So, it’s worth investing time getting clear on your unique perspective, the areas of life that you’re interested in exploring, and the opinions that you think are worth sharing.
To express yourself means to share your unique point of view, your thoughts, your opinions, your feelings, your ideas, basically who you are with others.
It’s also helpful to know that the process of expressing yourself is ongoing and it’s constantly evolving. You don’t have to share all of the things at once. You can pick and choose a topic area or interest of yours as a starting point. The more you practice, the more clear and confident you become about what you like to share and the medium you like to do it in.
So, now that we are clear on what self-expression is, let’s talk about why expressing yourself is something worth doing.
The benefits of expressing yourself.
Although expressing yourself can be really scary and vulnerable at first and rightly so, especially as women of color, due to a variety of factors including systematic oppression, historical persecution, gender violence, lack of representation in professional spaces, amongst many others, it makes sense if the idea of showing up in big ways feels really intimidating.
However, engaging in acts of self-expression also offers you many surprising benefits that you might not be aware of. These benefits include things like—being able to release pent up emotions, the opportunity to share your authentic self, opportunities to connect with like minded people, experiencing more life satisfaction, being more creative, etc…
This means that when you give yourself the opportunity to be seen, through whatever medium you choose, you also open yourself up to the possibility of connecting with kindred spirits while supporting your overall wellbeing, a powerful combination totally worth your time!
But if you’re still wondering, if self-expression is so valuable, then why aren’t there more of us sharing ourselves with the world? Well, keep reading.
Obstacles that get in the way of expressing ourselves.
As I noted earlier, expressing yourself can prove to be quite challenging especially as women of color, since so many of us have been in situations where you have been left to feel alienated, isolated, wounded, unsure of ourselves, especially as we tried to share our unique perspective, life experience, or decided to speak up for ourselves and dared to ask for what we needed.
It’s not surprising then to see these very real fears show up whenever we attempt to speak our truth through our art. Some common obstacles amongst women of color creatives include—fear of being judged, fear of being criticized, struggling with imposter syndrome, not feeling good enough, feeling disconnected from their true voice, lacking clarity on their personal values, experiencing low self-worth, struggling with past traumatic experiences, just to name a few. So, if you are struggling with any of these issues, I want you to know this is not uncommon.
Putting yourself out into the world is a vulnerable thing to do. And, it’s totally normal to experience some level of fear and insecurity as you try to do something new. But if you’re noticing that these fears are holding you back from speaking your truth, you keep sabotaging yourself, or can’t seem to get your creative project off the ground, then it’s time to get outside support. You don’t need to go at it alone. Your art, creativity, and unique perspective matter.
If you need personalized guidance and support navigating your self-expression journey, I can help you. Get in touch by booking a free discovery call and let’s get clear about what's getting in the way of your creative expression for once and for all! Sharing who you are in a way that feels authentic, allows you to be creative, and feels nourishing is totally possible! Keep showing up and keep creating. You got this!
Renata is a creativity coach guiding women of color creatives to breakthrough creative block with therapeutic art making. She’s currently offering a free copy of her therapeutic art making workbook when you sign up for her email list. Sign up here to get your free copy.
