Are You Hiding Art in Your Closet? How Fear of Vulnerability Keeps Us Stuck

I’ve been hiding art in my closet. It might not be what you think, but I’m guilty. Let me explain.

When I was in college, my roommate and close friend of mine told me a story of a childhood friend that was a brilliant artist. She spent her spare time and money to create paintings that were masterpieces. But, she shoved all her work in her closet, to be seen by nobody.

I remember being shocked. I grilled my friend: “Why in the world would she do that?Just hang them up. Just sell them. How could you hide a talent like that?”

My older, wiser self has a strong hunch as to why she hid her masterpieces: it wasn’t talent she was afraid of showing, it was exposing her most vulnerable self. It wasn’t only talent she was to put out there, it was talent + authentic self-expression. An ideal blend that makes for pure genius. But, when we make our most soulfully crafted creations or our most original brand of genius public, we also open our deepest selves up for potential criticism, attack, rejection, shame, and misunderstanding. The stakes are high.

These high stakes moments are what drive fear of vulnerability. Many of us have unique brands of genius we either hold back completely at the most or we tone down at the least because we fear the risk, uncertainty and emotional exposure associated with letting our most original ideas, truths or creations be seen. And yet, the very exposure we fear is the same exposure…