What Skinner has said about Artistic anxiety and self-doubt

Skinner argues that external pressures such as money and validation are the main drivers of self-abandonment for artists.

“the external pressures are the motivations for self-abandonment in a lot of ways”

Seekers of the Eternal: #57 ~ SKINNER: Art, Mythology, Monsters & Self Love (Dec 22, 2024) · Listen from 7:08

Skinner says fear-driven work shifts his focus from creativity to a fear of not being or having enough.

“it's not about my relationship to creativity. It's about my fear of not being enough or not having enough or whatever that is”

Seekers of the Eternal: #57 ~ SKINNER: Art, Mythology, Monsters & Self Love (Dec 22, 2024) · Listen from 6:59

Skinner observes that people only get excited about his being an artist once they learn he earns money from it.

“I only see people. an excitement and an energy for being an artist when somebody can attach the idea that like you make money”

Seekers of the Eternal: #57 ~ SKINNER: Art, Mythology, Monsters & Self Love (Dec 22, 2024) · Listen from 10:17

Skinner describes two creative portals, avoiding the uncomfortable writing and world-building work in favor of the drawing he is confident in.

“One is the easy one where I'm comfortable and I know exactly what I'm doing. And I usually use this one to avoid the other one, which is the uncomfortable portal”

Seekers of the Eternal: #57 ~ SKINNER: Art, Mythology, Monsters & Self Love (Dec 22, 2024) · Listen from 20:37

Skinner argues that being authentic, afraid and not knowing is how the world gets healed because people stop pretending.

“it's the way in which I feel like the world does get healed because nobody's like when that happens, people aren't pretending”

Seekers of the Eternal: #57 ~ SKINNER: Art, Mythology, Monsters & Self Love (Dec 22, 2024) · Listen from 22:15

Skinner closes by advising listeners to protect their spirit from things they cannot control, since worrying does not change outcomes.

“worrying about stuff doesn't change the outcome of anything. It just makes you feel sad and weird inside”

Seekers of the Eternal: #57 ~ SKINNER: Art, Mythology, Monsters & Self Love (Dec 22, 2024) · Listen from 1:42:20