The motivation to sell something, anything, for validation of its value/worth is a strong force in our current culture. It’s easy to think that if people aren’t willing to trade money for the thing I made, maybe it’s not good? No matter how many times I finish a drawing or painting for me, with no original intention to sell it, there has always been a tiny voice in the back of my head that asks, “I wonder if people will buy it?”
But, there’s a difference between purchasing and appreciating, acquiring and connecting.
I’ve only just realised this but what I’m really looking for with anything I finish making is connection. To bring something to the world from nothing and then finding someone, anyone, in the world who says, “Thankyou, that helped me in some way.” A little like sending a space probe into deep space and waiting for a reply. Is there anyone out there?
I recently witnessed someone I hardly know cry over something I made. Literal, actual tears. They never bought it. Never offered to buy it. In that moment, money didn’t exist for me or for them. But, their reaction (and my reaction to them) was a gift that money was completely ill-equipped to substitute for. What happened in that moment is that I heard back from deep-space and what I heard was, ‘That was really nice. Do it again, please.’
And so, I’m leaving the gravity of commerce, and I hope that perhaps others may find this message out there and think, maybe I’ll do the same.