An article I read some months ago gave me a lot of food for thought. The writer, an artist himself, talked about how sometimes we need a break from the art submission process. At first, I thought, “Hmm, but I really like applying for these!” I kind of get a kick out of the suspense and adventure part of it, when you don’t know if your work will get accepted at first. But as I read the article, I started understanding there was a lot of wisdom in it.

He talked about how when artists submit to too many open calls, especially if it’s one after another, it can distract you from other areas of your art practice. You start to rely on other people’s validation more, hoping they’ll accept what you make. And even for people who try to take rejection pretty well, like me, it can still be hard to get a lot of messages that your art has been declined.

What’s more, focusing solely on calls for art can mean you miss the chance to create your own opportunities. The time spent crafting your submissions could be used in publishing and sharing work on your own terms. Even though calls for art can be really amazing ways to get your work out there, it does take time to prepare for them. So you have to balance that trade-off.

One thing I’ve noticed myself is that when I submit to a lot of different calls for art and writing, it can be challenging because I have to fit my work into the themes the juror or editors want. The writer also pointed that out, and said it could make it harder for you to develop your own creative style and voice.

As I reflected on the article, I realized that it made a lot of sense. I’ll still submit when I feel the opportunity is right for me, but moving forward, I’m going to be more thoughtful in how I spend my time. I don’t have to jump on an open call just because it’s open! That gives me more time to share my own work in the way I want to, with more creative freedom.

With that being said, I still really appreciate the open calls I’ve submitted to, because I learn a lot in the process. One of my first experiences in actually being part of a real-life art exhibit came through an open call at West Windsor Arts and Art Against Racism, so I’m really grateful for that. You can build good relationships with people in the art world through submitting to different opportunities, regardless of whether you’re accepted or not.

I also get to see some really awesome art in many of these! Even if I’m not part of the show, that can still be fun. An example is a recent art exhibit I applied to with an outer space theme. I didn’t get accepted, but I was still able to see everyone else’s pieces. And there was some truly cool and cosmic art on display, which I enjoyed exploring (especially the ones on aliens!).

But I think I learned some lessons from reading that article, and from my own experience in submitting to lots of open calls. It's fun to give them a try, but you don’t want them to be the only path you use in sharing your work. I had been thinking in the back of my mind for a while that I don’t want to prioritize art competitions or open calls too much. I could tell that focusing too much time on them was affecting my art and the ability to experiment in my own way.

Moving forward, I’m going to return to publishing and sharing my own projects independently, balancing that with submitting to the open calls and opportunities I feel are right for me. I’ll also continue building the relationships I have in creative communities and with people who have already accepted my work.

When I was spending a lot of energy on applying to open calls, I did miss that experience of having the freedom to just create what I wanted. It’s nice not to have to worry about whether someone will accept something I create or not. I want to keep thinking outside the box as an artist and exploring new areas, and that’s something I’ll do regardless of the outcome.

Note: A few days after I wrote this draft, I got a beautiful surprise. I was accepted for a sponsorship at World of Creatives, a wonderful art community by Way Walker. He makes a lot of great videos and articles on how we can help our creativity blossom. You can check him out at his channel here: World of Creatives . I’m so grateful for this, because I was struggling with feeling a little lost in how to share my creative work. I wanted ways to do it outside of social media and the pressure that creates, so I’m glad I can join a community that focuses on the art and not the metrics.

I was thinking to myself earlier that day, “I have to share my work on my own terms, in my own way.” I realized if I always chase numbers and likes, that will never be enough. If you have 50 likes or followers, you’ll start wondering why you don’t have 100, and when you have 100, you’ll think you need 1,000. It’s a game that never ends.

So I thought to myself, “What matters is making art that touches someone, even if that’s just one person.” I saw I have to define my own version of what success means for my work, instead of relying on validation from social metrics. And finding out I can be a part of World of Creatives was like an answer from the universe.

Around the same time (just a few days before I found out I was accepted for the sponsorship!), I stumbled upon another online community based in the UK, but available worldwide. It is called The Studio, and it operates in a similar way: it gives creative artists a quiet place to share their work, away from the noise of social media.

I feel artists need more quiet spaces where they have room to think and create. That’s another reason why I’m stepping back from open calls for now - I need that time to myself to create freely.