Hello Everyone,
I hope you all are doing well. I’m excited to see the number of people checking out my website and blog, especially those from different parts of the world. It makes me happy! So…..the title……I hope you all don’t find it to be strange, but believe it or not, there is jealousy in the art/fashion world, between non-creatives and creatives.
I can’t speak for all creatives (nor would I want to), but I can say that I have experienced people being jealous of me because I’m an artist. I didn’t know it existed until the person(s) disclosed that information to me. The first time I experienced this was in 2010 or 2011 when my cousin told me her feelings about my talent. My cousin and I are close. Grew up together, close in age, went to school together, went to church together, etc. I never thought she would be jealous of me. In high school, my mom used to tell me to watch out for her because she saw the jealousy in her. I thought my mom was just saying something. After we graduated, I went to college and she went to the military. 2010-2011- I was in grad school, and we talked for the first time in a long time. We were catching up on everything. I started talking about my projects, and she said “well, I know that you are going to do great. I was always amazed by your talent. I don’t know how you will feel about this, but I was always jealous of you because you could draw and I couldn’t.” I was stunned! She even told me that she used to talk to her mother (my aunt) about her jealousy of me because of my talent. She also told me that although she had other talents, it still hurt that she couldn’t draw. We talked things over, but I still feel a way about her jealousy.
The second person to tell me they were envious (his words) of my talent was a former friend. We had known each other since we were children and dated in the past. I always found it weird that he would try to do art projects when I was in undergrad…..that is until he moved to fashion when I started graduate school! Even though he knew nothing about managing models, he became a modeling manager. He also tried to set up photoshoots with the intention of using my collections, but didn’t want to pay anyone. It was weird!! We both moved to Texas around the same time, and he would call me with suggestions for us to go into business together. Everyone who knows me knows that I like to work by myself. He would suggest that I create stuff he saw on YouTube that I was not interested in. Again, weird!! If his friends wanted me to design something, and I told them my price, they would vent to him, and he would call me trying to figure out why I was charging what I charge! I would go off on him because his actions were strange. It was to the point where I didn’t even want to have a conversation with him because it would make my blood boil. Well, one day he called me to talk to me, and instead of him talking to me, he started fussing like a parent. When I asked who in TF he was talking to, we started arguing…..again! Then, he had the audacity to tell me that I was sleeping on my talent! Wrong thing to say to me! I went off! Then, he spoke his truth. He said, “do you know why I have always been envious of you?!” This was the first time I’ve ever heard him say that because I didn’t even know he was envious of me! After I tell him I didn’t know he was envious, he then says, “the reason I’m so envious of you is because you have a talent that I always wanted. You have the talent and you’re not even using it!” Again, wrong thing to say to me. Not only did I let him know he didn’t know what he was talking about, but I also ended the friendship. Haven’t talked to him since.
In graduate school, I had another student badmouth my work to other students because of her jealousy of me. That was weird to me. During undergrad, I was used to everyone in the art department encouraging each other and giving constructive criticism, so when I saw the backhanded and shady comments regarding others’ works, I was stunned. There are also people out there who would purposely try to destroy others’ work because of their feelings about them. So, for all of the creatives out there, please be careful with who you have in your circle, and please make sure you do not have any jealous/envious people around you. When that jealousy/envy is unleashed, it can be brutal.
Until Next Time…