Maybe I Am an Artist After All
For the longest time, I had a hard time calling myself an artist.
Sometimes I still do, honestly.
It’s such a perfect word for what I am... but the word itself feels intimidating. It comes with expectations and pressure and all the yada yada yada that somehow makes saying “I’m an artist” feel like a much bigger statement than it probably needs to be.
When I started Evolve, I hoped some of that imposter syndrome would eventually fade away. And in a lot of ways, it has.
But there’s always been this little lingering voice in the back of my head saying...
Yeah, but you’re not a REAL artist.
Which is kind of ridiculous when I actually stop and think about it.
I make art.
I teach art.
I've built a business around art.
So what exactly does that make me?
An artist.
Funny how easy that is to say about someone else and how hard it can be to say about yourself.
I Give This Advice All the Time...
One of the biggest things I tell people in my Evolve classes is don't compare your painting to your neighbor's — or to mine.
It takes the fun right out of it.
Your painting isn't supposed to look exactly like mine. That's kind of the whole point.
And yet...
Put me on Instagram scrolling through other artists' work and suddenly I have a VERY difficult time taking my own advice. 😂
Why do we do this as humans?! And especially as artists?!
It's so easy to look at someone else's work and immediately start picking apart your own.
Despite those deeper doubts, I've decided I'm ready to really embrace my own art.
Maybe I'm evolving a little, too.
The Rescue Project
I started Emily Prahl Art because I wanted somewhere to explore my own artwork outside of teaching.
Teaching people to paint is something I absolutely love, but creating a painting for a class and creating something just because I want to see where I can take it are two very different experiences.
That's where my Rescue Project came from.
I'm taking 50 of my old paintings — paintings I've made throughout the years, some of which desperately need some help 😂 — and giving each one another chance.
I've finished my first two rescues, and I have to say...
I'm really proud of myself.
I'm proud of how far my artwork has come. I'm proud that I didn't quit during the times I seriously considered it. And I'm really excited to see what happens over the course of these 50 paintings.
And Since We're Being Real...
My goal is to inspire more people to paint, make things, try something they're not immediately good at and keep going anyway.
And maybe part of doing that is being willing to show my own growth, too.
50 Rescues... Then an Art Show
Once I've rescued all 50 paintings, I'm going to have my first art show.
Even typing that feels surreal.
Especially considering I still have moments where I have to pinch myself because I get to make art for work full-time now!!!
Since starting Evolve, I've almost always balanced my art business with another day job. Now I'm getting the chance to see what happens when I really give this part of myself the time and energy I've always wanted to give it.
And apparently that means rescuing 50 old paintings and then putting them all in an art show. 😂
The show is tentatively planned for Labor Day weekend 2027, and there is a LOT of painting between now and then.
But I'm excited about it.
And I'd really love for my Evolve family to come along for the ride and give Emily Prahl Art a follow.
Maybe by painting #50 I'll finally be able to introduce myself as an artist without that tiny voice in my head questioning it.
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