Since I started my art journey in Islamic geometry, I’ve felt in so many different ways. I felt happy when my very first client bought one of my paintings and I felt frustrated, because of a client who didn’t like what I was doing but instead, wanted me to copy the work of another artist.

I was super confident when I sent my very first brand presentation, and the client loved it so much that he commissioned me 3 designs but I was also nervous when I was teaching my first workshop, and the second one, and the third one…

I felt overwhelmed, trying to do things I never did before, like putting a price to my work, creating a website, or trying to meet the deadlines.

 

When I look back to all of that and see how far I’ve come, I feel good vibes.

I see happiness, dedication and fulfilment. I feel calm and in love with life.

I’ll be honest. I don’t feel like that 100% of the time. Feeling emotions, good and bad, is ok.

But the majority of the time it’s a positive feeling.

 

However, imagine carrying on with something you are not passionate about anymore.

It can happen. People change. Your WHY can change.

 

Just because you love something now, it doesn’t mean you will love it forever.

It might be scary, right? Like admitting you are not you anymore. What would people think? Would they still like me? Are my followers going to stick with me even if I don’t post what they expect me to post?

Sometimes it’s hard even admit it to yourself.

Other times we keep doing what we once did because we think it’s just a bad period, and we hope the flame of passion will start burning again inside us.

 

Listen up.

It’s absolutely ok to feel this way.

If you feel like you want to explore new stuff, do it.

Maybe the passion comes back again and you will go back to what you were doing.

 

Art should be joy, surrender. It should be your moment of stillness in a chaotic life. Art is the dance of your soul.

If you are feeling frustrated and somehow you are avoiding to spend time creating maybe you just need a break from all of it or perhaps it’s time for a change.

Whatever it is, just do what makes you happy.

People will understand and if someone doesn’t understand it, just punch him in the face haha. Just kidding, of course.

Life is too short to spend it in a bad mood. Am I right?

 

So, my question for you is: are you happy or frustrated?

 

2021 Update: one year after I wrote this blog post I think I was writing it for myself. I was the one who needed a break from only drawing Zellig patterns to focus on things such as online teaching  or experimenting with different types of mediums such as my iPad.

And guess what? I’m still here, no one hates me even if I haven’t shared this part of my journey on my Instagram and I’m more than excited to draw again in 2022.

Sometimes we just need a break to make things work again.