This Is Why Your Art Will Always Matter
All that matters is that you understand that your contribution to the world is important.
Yuricazac / Shutterstock By Laura Van De Walle
If there are any "One Tree Hill" fans out there, then you’ll understand the importance of the phrase, “your art matters.” I’m here to tell you that Lucas Scott knew exactly what he was talking about.
It doesn’t matter whether you like to write, paint, draw, design, create, innovate — you name it. All that matters is that you understand that your contribution to the world is important.
Maybe the only person to read this will be the two editors who have to edit it. On the other hand, maybe 20 people will read it.
It never occurs to me to stop writing regardless of this though, because a huge part of why I write is for me.
It’s so that part of me is out there in the world, at least trying to make a difference, even if it only ever reaches one person. It’s so I can let go of thoughts that haunt me and words that sit on the tip of my tongue but never quite feel right to say aloud.
It’s the best possible way for me to express and communicate with myself.
I look around and see so many people, especially young women and girls, afraid to express themselves. They think others will judge them or question them and they’re scared that they won’t be able to handle it.
That to me is very wrong. Why is no one out there teaching them that they’re strong enough to handle criticism, beautiful enough to be seen and important enough to be heard?
We send messages that only the very elite are vital enough to the world. That we must listen to only those who have proven themselves to be worth something. Yet, how do we measure what someone is worth?
Is it by their social media presence, their occupation, or simply by what you’ve heard about them? All of those answers may be true in the world, but morally they're incredibly wrong.
It doesn’t matter who you are or where you came from, for all it matters you can release it anonymously. If there is something inside of you telling you to create or to share, then you have to own up to that part of yourself.
You owe yourself that much.
The freedom to be who you truly are isn’t about those around you, it’s about yourself. The more you accept it, the more you will come to understand and slowly accept all of the different parts.
If you have something to share with the world, don’t hesitate, just do it. Your art matters.
If you need to get something off your chest, write it down. Your art matters.
If part of you craves to express emotions and thoughts that words can’t possibly describe, pick up a brush and reach our hearts instead of our minds. Your art matters.
If life simply weighs more than you can manage, let it go, in any form that feels right for you. Your art matters.
Let yourself believe the truth, that is: your art matters.
Laura Van De Walle is a student writer and a contributor to Unwritten. She writes primarily on topics of health, self-esteem, and relationships.