Overcoming Creative Isolation: How to Feel Seen as an Artist

Sun shines down upon Removing Negativity , 9” x 12” x 0.1” Acrylic on paper, © Deb Chaney Prints available on Saatchi Gallery.

 How making art connects us—even when no one’s watching

Have you ever felt like your art is being made in a vacuum? That no one is out there waiting to see what you create? It’s a quiet challenge many artists face—especially those working independently.

But here’s the truth: isolation is a temporary illusion. The act of creating is, in itself, a form of connection.

Recent research from the Foundation for Art & Healing shows that creative engagement—even when practiced alone—can reduce feelings of loneliness by increasing focus, emotional presence, and a deeper sense of meaning. Art reconnects us not only to others, but to ourselves.

Removing Negativity , 9” x 12” x 0.1” Acrylic on paper, © Deb Chaney Prints available on Saatchi Gallery.

I often return to Julia Cameron’s words: “Art is not about thinking something up. It is about getting something down.” That gesture of getting something down—a stroke of color, a texture layered, a feeling made visible—can be enough to stir a thread of connection.

Try this: photograph your work and send it to someone who truly sees you. Or reflect privately—write a note about how you felt while creating, even if no one ever reads it. Or simply pause after you make something and say: Thank you.

Sometimes, the connection we’re searching for is already forming quietly within us—and from there, it finds its way outward.