At some point in your hobby, you want to share something, you’ve built or painted. You’re excited about it!

Then that little nagging voice kicks in. You know the one.

The one that thinks that what you are doing isn’t good enough to share. The one that says “what if people don’t like my art?”. What if it’s a waste of time?

Trust me, I get it. I always get a little nervous when I go about posting something I’ve made. It’s natural.

I do it regardless.

Fear is the mind-killer.

Sharing is a great way of being part of a community! You can learn new ideas and techniques all while networking with other builders. It’s also a great way to gain self-confidence in your art.

One of my best choices was to start posting my builds. Yes, I did get a few shitty comments here and there but I did gain a lot from it. I met a plethora of new like-minded individuals and picked up some information on the way.

For a more recent example, I’ve been told to watch the gameplay of The Last of Us by some folks on Twitter due to the fungus aspect of the game. I spent the last few days binging on videos and it has helped to inspire one of my newest diorama projects.

So try taking a few baby steps. Post on Instagram once or twice a week. Discuss your build and the why’s/how of it all. Ask for feedback if you want. It’s perfectly okay to ask for it.

Sharing with other builders can open up artistic discussion. Other builders are often very enthusiastic about the hobby and they usually love to talk about the process behind making a build.

Find online or local build communities.

I try to be involved with my local community when I can but typically I post to several online communities.

This could be:

1. Discord
2. Facebook groups
3. Twitter
4. Instagram

I use all four. Some groups may not be a good fit, so it’s okay to look at options.

So just remember…

One of the hardest things about putting yourself out there is the fear of the unknown. However, the best thing to do is just to do it! Post!

If someone’s rude, then block them.

Granted, sometimes I’ll troll with them or just respond with a shrug. That seems to annoy them. I recently posted my newest Nightingale and was met with some interesting comments. I just take it in all of a chuckle stride and move on. I like what I build and that’s all that matters.

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What do you think? Drop a comment below and let me know, I’d love to hear it.

Have a safe Monday everyone!

-J