While listening to the episodes of the podcast It can also be different, it is striking that, after reaching a turning point, artists sometimes begin to create different kinds of work: larger pieces or, conversely, smaller ones; a shift to drawing or painting; or the use of different materials. In the interviews, it is sometimes mentioned—implicitly or explicitly—that such a change arose from the desire to ‘stay closer to oneself’ during the creative process.
Staying true to yourself as an artist means working from a clear connection to your own curiosity, sensitivity, fascinations, and inner drive—so that your work springs from something that is meaningful to you.
We all experience changes in the way we work, if only because we evolve over time, gain more experience, and thereby come to better understand our own capabilities. After a turning point in an artist’s career, the relationship between the artist and the work can change, and external pressure to perform may inevitably fade away or take on a different form. This can lead to the realization that you can’t continue to focus solely on success and external approval, and as a result, the work you previously created may suddenly feel more distant from you.
… that your work stems from something that is meaningful to you
If your work becomes too detached from you, a sense of emptiness or fatigue can set in. Many artists eventually come to realize when they’re creating primarily to meet expectations, follow trends, please algorithms, secure grants, please galleries, or seek social validation—and sooner or later, they’ll want to take a different path, one that’s closer to their true selves. Work created out of intrinsic motivation usually has more urgency, more individuality, more coherence, and more potential. And perhaps even more importantly: it gives you a reason to keep going when recognition is lacking—a situation that is almost inevitable in the art world.
‘Staying true to yourself’ is no guarantee of success. Authenticity is important, but we shouldn’t make it out to be more than it is. Powerful art usually doesn’t arise from simply displaying an identity (‘this is who I am’), but is often the result of a genuine quest. A turning point in an artist’s career can accelerate that search or make it more focused. But even then, there’s no guarantee of success. There are incredibly authentic artists who can barely make ends meet. And there are artists who respond very strategically to the market and make an excellent living from it. Sometimes authentic work happens to align with a cultural need of the moment. Sometimes someone is years ahead of their time. Sometimes the work is powerful but difficult to access, and other times the infrastructure surrounding the work is simply lacking.
There are incredibly authentic artists who can barely make ends meet
The specific phrase ‘staying true to yourself’ became popular in the 1980s and 1990s, but the underlying ideal—living in accordance with your own nature rather than others‘ expectations—has existed since the Romantic era of the 18th century. ’Staying true to yourself‘ assumes that there is such a thing as a fixed and recognizable self to which you can return. Philosophers, however, have questioned this. According to thinkers such as Sartre and Nietzsche, identity is not a given core to be discovered, but something that is constantly shaped by choices, experiences, and actions. From that perspective, ’staying true to yourself” means leaving room for growth and change.
Someone who stays true to themselves doesn't necessarily stay true to who they were yesterday
In psychology, too, authenticity is understood not so much as remaining true to an unchanging identity, but as the ability to act based on one’s own values and motivations. Staying true to oneself does not necessarily mean staying true to who one was yesterday. Perhaps this also explains many of the turning points in artists’ practices. They mark not so much a break with the self, but rather a shift toward a new form that better aligns with questions, fascinations, or experiences that have emerged over time.
The value of staying true to yourself lies in continuing to have an honest conversation with yourself. It can help to regularly return to the question of what originally sparked your curiosity—before recognition, expectations, patterns, routines, or success came into play. That curiosity offers no certainty, but it does serve as a compass. Especially during times of change, that compass can help you make choices that align not only with your career but also with the person behind the work. Sign up for a subscription and get a 25% discount for the first year
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