Permission to Show Up

When I was a teenager, I didn’t go to art school. At the time, it felt like a door I closed on myself before I’d even stepped through it. I told myself I wasn’t good enough, that I didn’t belong, that art was for other people who were braver, more talented, more certain. And for years, that belief sat quietly in the background, shaping how I saw myself as an artist.

Even now, those doubts creep in every single day. Standing in front of a blank canvas, or preparing for an exhibition, I hear that old whisper: Who do you think you are to put your work out there?

But here’s what I’ve learned—believing in yourself isn’t a finish line you cross once and for all. It’s a choice you make over and over again. It’s not about waiting until you feel confident enough (because if I had done that, I’d still be waiting). It’s about showing up anyway, even with shaky hands and a racing heart.

When I finally gave myself permission to be “in the room”—to hang my paintings on a gallery wall, to let people see my work—I realised something powerful. The win isn’t whether people love it or not, or whether I sell out a show. The real victory is that I tried. That I allowed myself to take up space, to share, to be seen.

And here’s the truth: I won’t be disappointed that I gave it a shot. No matter what happens, I’ll know that I was brave enough to show up for myself and my art.

So if you’re standing on the edge of your own “room”—whether it’s a gallery, a classroom, a stage, or something entirely different—please know this: the doubts don’t mean you’re not ready. They just mean you’re human. And you don’t need permission from anyone else to begin.

Give yourself permission. Step in. Believe you deserve to be there—even if your voice is trembling. Because showing up is where courage lives. And it’s where your story truly begins.