How can I balance creating art for personal therapeutic reasons with worrying about whether it will trigger or upset viewers?

Create the work that’s authentic to you first, without censoring yourself based on how others might react. The more vulnerable and honest you are in your creative process, the more therapeutic it will be for you personally and the more it will genuinely connect with others who have similar experiences. You can provide context or content warnings if needed, but don’t let concern about triggering people stop you from making authentic work. People who connect with heavy or difficult subject matter often do so because they’ve experienced similar trauma or emotions - your vulnerability in creating that work helps them feel understood. Those who don’t connect with it simply aren’t your audience. Authentic, uncensored creativity is what creates both personal healing and meaningful connection with viewers.

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Asked by artist dealing with CPTSD · Answered by Dan Sundhal · art-marketing-podcast · 2024-08-07