April 1, 2025 • 7 mins
The delicate balance between creating for an audience and creating for yourself reveals the importance of intention in our artistic pursuits. Our relationship with creativity changes dramatically when we allow ourselves the freedom to create without the pressure of public judgment.
• Sharing your work allows you to connect with like-minded people and build your tribe
• Private creation provides freedom to explore and make mistakes without pressure
• Intention helps determine which creative work to share and which to keep private
• Some art nurtures your audience while other art nurtures you as the creator
• Creating just for yourself can be a necessary escape in our fast-paced world
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Richmond (00:05):
Hi, you're listening to Pockets, a podcast about
finding joy, meaning and purposein life's simplest moments.
I'm Richmond Camero.
Let's dive into today's journey.
At one point in my life I feltI was a famous writer.
(00:32):
I was a teenager in high schooland I was a member of the
school paper.
The club was mostly writingabout news, editorials and
features.
So I thought let's trysomething different and publish
some stories.
I wrote a story somewherebetween 800 to 1000 words not
too long, since it's fightingfor space in the paper.
(00:53):
For sure, a knight was the maincharacter, since I was obsessed
with Arthurian legends andLancelot du Lac back then, there
were swords, a princess andperhaps a dragon.
I really can't remember theplot now.
What I remember is how peopleloved it.
I had some classmates andschoolmates telling me how they
(01:15):
find it interesting.
Some were even asking for asequel.
It was one experience where Ifelt appreciated as a writer.
It's also one instance thatmade me think that if you create
something, you have to show itto the world.
If I didn't choose to write itand publish it, nobody would be
(01:36):
able to read it.
But do you really have to?
Do you have to always put yourwork out there?
The answer is not astraightforward one.
Austin Kleon has a book calledShow your Work, and it literally
talks about the benefits ofsharing the creative process.
(01:56):
He says share what you love andthe people who love the same
things will find you.
Telling about your work to theworld attracts who love the same
things will find you.
Telling about your work to theworld attracts people with the
same interests.
It's a way of building yourtribe, of connecting to
like-minded people.
As a consumer, I also admireartists that share their thought
(02:20):
process.
There's vulnerability beingshown and it makes me appreciate
the work done behind thefinished product.
I'm always curious about what'shappening behind the scenes,
and seeing the process makes mewant to follow the artist more.
So, yes, there's definitely abenefit of creating for an
audience, but there's also adark side, especially in our
(02:42):
internet and social media era.
Sharing your work means takinga risk.
It means allowing your work tobe judged by other people.
It means setting theexpectations of your audience
about the work you'll put out.
As a creative, I recognize thisrisk.
I recognize that the reviewsposted in my books are out of my
(03:04):
control.
Whether they are good or bad,with this, intention matters in
the process of creation.
Am I doing this artwork for theconsumption of my audience or
am I still learning anddiscovering this craft?
This is where I appreciate theserenity of creating for myself.
(03:26):
Creating in private allows meto explore, to enjoy the process
of making mistakes, to create,just because there's something
reassuring in the feeling that Iam a beginner in a certain
craft.
I've always wanted to draw.
As a writer, I see drawing asanother form of storytelling.
(03:47):
I've been exposed to a lot ofcartoons, anime and manga that I
appreciate how to tell a storyin a drawn medium.
However, drawing does not comeas naturally to me as writing.
There'll be seasons when I'mexcited to draw and there'll be
seasons when I wanted to let itgo, saying that it's not for me
(04:07):
and I'm better off harnessing myskill as a writer.
Then I had this shift ofmindset I can enjoy drawing
without showing my work to theworld yet.
So I did.
I'm trying to follow somecourses, doing some small
sketches here and there, and itdoesn't matter if my output is
(04:27):
good or bad.
I'm just enjoying the art forwhat it is.
This is also applicable toother hobbies that I'm exploring
.
It was October 2024 when Idiscovered bouldering or wall
climbing.
It was then that I realizedthat I finally found my sport.
There's a mix of problemsolving and creativity.
I don't need too much equipmentand it's something that I could
(04:51):
do on my own.
I was so excited to share itwith the world back then, but I
didn't need too much equipmentand it's something that I could
do on my own.
I was so excited to share itwith the world back then, but I
didn't, because I wanted tofirst learn it without pressure.
I wanted to at least beknowledgeable about climbing
before I share it, and I alsowanted to know if I still want
to do it after some time.
And to answer that last bit, Istill do and I am consistently
(05:12):
climbing.
Even for writing there There aresome things I do for myself.
Most of my written outputs aresupposed to be shared to the
world Stories, newsletters,poems and essays but there are
some worlds that I am buildingas well and stories I am still
figuring out.
These are hidden behind thescenes for the meantime and are
(05:33):
stored in my creative lab.
With these examples, how do Idecide which ones I share to the
world and which ones I keep?
As I said earlier, intention isthe key.
I know there's art that wouldnurture my audience, those that
they will enjoy, those that theycan relate to, those works in
(05:59):
progress that would make themsee how I see things as a
creative.
And then there's art that wouldnurture me, the art that
satisfies my curiosity,experiments that I'm still
tinkering, the time I spendsharpening the knife before I
cut the tree, these are formyself, to fill the creative
well.
And sometimes creating formyself is a necessity.
(06:22):
It becomes my rest and it's howI take a pause in the midst of
this fast-paced and demandinglife.
It's my escape that, for amoment, I'm doing what I like,
I'm in my bubble and I'mcreating.
In an era where our lives aremeasured by how others perceive
(06:42):
it, may you pursue creating artto water the gardens of your
soul.
You've been with Pockets.
Thank you so much for sharingthis space with me.
Now go embrace the moments,build your pockets of meaning
and keep curiosity a sure guide.
Hi, you're listening to Pockets, a podcast about
finding joy, meaning and purposein life's simplest moments.
I'm Richmond Camero.
Let's dive into today's journey.
At one point in my life I feltI was a famous writer.
(00:32):
I was a teenager in high schooland I was a member of the
school paper.
The club was mostly writingabout news, editorials and
features.
So I thought let's trysomething different and publish
some stories.
I wrote a story somewherebetween 800 to 1000 words not
too long, since it's fightingfor space in the paper.
(00:53):
For sure, a knight was the maincharacter, since I was obsessed
with Arthurian legends andLancelot du Lac back then, there
were swords, a princess andperhaps a dragon.
I really can't remember theplot now.
What I remember is how peopleloved it.
I had some classmates andschoolmates telling me how they
(01:15):
find it interesting.
Some were even asking for asequel.
It was one experience where Ifelt appreciated as a writer.
It's also one instance thatmade me think that if you create
something, you have to show itto the world.
If I didn't choose to write itand publish it, nobody would be
(01:36):
able to read it.
But do you really have to?
Do you have to always put yourwork out there?
The answer is not astraightforward one.
Austin Kleon has a book calledShow your Work, and it literally
talks about the benefits ofsharing the creative process.
(01:56):
He says share what you love andthe people who love the same
things will find you.
Telling about your work to theworld attracts who love the same
things will find you.
Telling about your work to theworld attracts people with the
same interests.
It's a way of building yourtribe, of connecting to
like-minded people.
As a consumer, I also admireartists that share their thought
(02:20):
process.
There's vulnerability beingshown and it makes me appreciate
the work done behind thefinished product.
I'm always curious about what'shappening behind the scenes,
and seeing the process makes mewant to follow the artist more.
So, yes, there's definitely abenefit of creating for an
audience, but there's also adark side, especially in our
(02:42):
internet and social media era.
Sharing your work means takinga risk.
It means allowing your work tobe judged by other people.
It means setting theexpectations of your audience
about the work you'll put out.
As a creative, I recognize thisrisk.
I recognize that the reviewsposted in my books are out of my
(03:04):
control.
Whether they are good or bad,with this, intention matters in
the process of creation.
Am I doing this artwork for theconsumption of my audience or
am I still learning anddiscovering this craft?
This is where I appreciate theserenity of creating for myself.
(03:26):
Creating in private allows meto explore, to enjoy the process
of making mistakes, to create,just because there's something
reassuring in the feeling that Iam a beginner in a certain
craft.
I've always wanted to draw.
As a writer, I see drawing asanother form of storytelling.
(03:47):
I've been exposed to a lot ofcartoons, anime and manga that I
appreciate how to tell a storyin a drawn medium.
However, drawing does not comeas naturally to me as writing.
There'll be seasons when I'mexcited to draw and there'll be
seasons when I wanted to let itgo, saying that it's not for me
(04:07):
and I'm better off harnessing myskill as a writer.
Then I had this shift ofmindset I can enjoy drawing
without showing my work to theworld yet.
So I did.
I'm trying to follow somecourses, doing some small
sketches here and there, and itdoesn't matter if my output is
(04:27):
good or bad.
I'm just enjoying the art forwhat it is.
This is also applicable toother hobbies that I'm exploring
.
It was October 2024 when Idiscovered bouldering or wall
climbing.
It was then that I realizedthat I finally found my sport.
There's a mix of problemsolving and creativity.
I don't need too much equipmentand it's something that I could
(04:51):
do on my own.
I was so excited to share itwith the world back then, but I
didn't need too much equipmentand it's something that I could
do on my own.
I was so excited to share itwith the world back then, but I
didn't, because I wanted tofirst learn it without pressure.
I wanted to at least beknowledgeable about climbing
before I share it, and I alsowanted to know if I still want
to do it after some time.
And to answer that last bit, Istill do and I am consistently
(05:12):
climbing.
Even for writing there There aresome things I do for myself.
Most of my written outputs aresupposed to be shared to the
world Stories, newsletters,poems and essays but there are
some worlds that I am buildingas well and stories I am still
figuring out.
These are hidden behind thescenes for the meantime and are
(05:33):
stored in my creative lab.
With these examples, how do Idecide which ones I share to the
world and which ones I keep?
As I said earlier, intention isthe key.
I know there's art that wouldnurture my audience, those that
they will enjoy, those that theycan relate to, those works in
(05:59):
progress that would make themsee how I see things as a
creative.
And then there's art that wouldnurture me, the art that
satisfies my curiosity,experiments that I'm still
tinkering, the time I spendsharpening the knife before I
cut the tree, these are formyself, to fill the creative
well.
And sometimes creating formyself is a necessity.
(06:22):
It becomes my rest and it's howI take a pause in the midst of
this fast-paced and demandinglife.
It's my escape that, for amoment, I'm doing what I like,
I'm in my bubble and I'mcreating.
In an era where our lives aremeasured by how others perceive
(06:42):
it, may you pursue creating artto water the gardens of your
soul.
You've been with Pockets.
Thank you so much for sharingthis space with me.
Now go embrace the moments,build your pockets of meaning
and keep curiosity a sure guide.
Popular Podcasts
United States of Kennedy
United States of Kennedy is a podcast about our cultural fascination with the Kennedy dynasty. Every week, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris go into one aspect of the Kennedy story.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com