Yesterday afternoon I went to my usual monthly networking event. It’s one that I particularly enjoy and it’s full to the brim with experienced, and supportive business folk. As we sat around our table of seven, I realised that I was about to come out of the closet, creatively speaking. And as I started to tell this bunch of people, who only knew me for my business writing, about my cartoon sheep and Fairy Trails, I got really hot and a bit flustered, and my mind was in a bit of a frenzy. I felt extremely uncomfortable. Which led to further confusion and fluster, because I’m quite a confident person, I knew most of the people at the table well, and two of them are my clients!
So what was the problem? Well, on reflection, I realised what all artists who put their work into the public domain probably already know. That when you let people see what you’ve created, you’re letting them see a little bit of the inside of your head. Normally you can keep people out of there. But when you publish your work, it’s like leaving your living room curtains open a little when it’s dark outside. People passing can see a little bit of your living room and maybe even some of what’s going on inside it. My sister reckons Seamus is my alter-ego, and until now she and the rest of my family are pretty much the only people who’ve experienced his adventures. And they know me pretty well by now, so if they see the inside of my head, it’s not something I’m going to be bothered about. But now anyone who comes by this site will get a peek. And I’m not sure at what point I’ll be entirely comfortable with that, but they do say that life begins at the end of your comfort zone… 🙂