By Anthony Meindl | Posted April 28, 2014, 3 p.m.

Im the king of over-sharing.

I didnt even know what that word meant until a couple months ago, because I realized that ever since I was a kid, Id express things that most people would think were private. But it just felt normal for me to express my truth, and I think if you watch children, theyre naturally inclined to express freely in this way in the moment.

As I got older, I became self-conscious about that part of me that was made fun of for expressing feeling. I began to self-edit and self-criticize this natural part of me that seemed to be so different from what other people said was normal.

So I assimilated. Joined the crowd, tried to fit in.

And in doing so, I began to equate that simply feeling (and sharing feeling) is inherently risky and punishable.

And in a way it is. I was thinking yesterday about the brave souls who lived under Communist rule in the Soviet Union (and other countries) during the Cold War. What would I have done had I lived during that time as an artist? It was very risky for artists to express themselves freely, which ironically, is the trademark of all great art. I started thinking about the challenges of wanting to write poetry or tell stories or act in plays that expressed a political point of view, or a personal narrative that wasnt acceptable by the mandates of the organized state or religion. How brutal it must have been for those artists.

Thankfully, were free to express. So let it not be a burden of pain and anxiety. Expressing feelingeven when its scary and unfamiliaris inherently joyful because its the natural state of our being.

And thankfully, were also given second chances in life, all the time.

So dont waste opportunities to express how you feel. Do it, and not in ways that feel safe to you. Although feeling vulnerable is safe, when youre expressing something that is personal to you, the fear of rejection or disapproval or being negated might make you feel unsafe.

Here is the original post:
Why Artists Cannot Be Afraid to Express Emotions