I noticed that a friend of mine was always unproductive while working on her next art piece for critique. She had her earbuds in and looked as if she was ready to whip out her pencil or brush to fill the blank paper in front of her, but she never went far from that. With her eyes roaming from one place to the other, her fingers would twirl her pencil around while the paper before her was still that perfect cream. From my line of sight, I couldn't see a dab of color or a light sketch either. When I finally asked her why she wasn't creating anything, she told me something that could be summed up in three words: loss of identity.

She, who was afraid that her peers would judge her on her own unique style of drawing, couldn't start her next art piece.

To be honest, when I first listened to her reasoning, I couldn't quite understand how this caused her to stop making art. There was a degree of criticism that anyone could ever receive from a critique, and I had not witnessed anyone downright bashing someone else's artwork with no restraint whatsoever. I knew that there was always the possibility of growth in every artist and that critiques were one way in which they could improve.

However, my friend had somehow attributed these criticisms to her style and essentially, her identity as an artist.

I did notice that over the weeks, her individual voice as an artist had been diminishing in her pieces as if someone had purposefully taken that part of her and replaced it with someone else's. I noticed that her art didn't have the original feeling of it being exclusively hers.

Her perspective on the criticisms was understandable, though. Many students in the class valued technique and realism over imagination or meaning. From the onset of her creative path, my friend had always loved semi-realism whilst weaving intention in every one of her pieces. Although I deeply appreciated her art, sometimes stopping my own work to watch her as she sketched or listen to her explain the meaning of every element of her piece, I realized that perhaps the other students didn't take the time to really understand her pieces.

In the critiques, there was always a draw towards artwork that was technically excellent with hyper-realistic features. Neglected was the art that was not as technically strong. I realized later that this was the root of my friend's sense of confusion.

She didn't know how to express herself anymore and her artworks didn't emulate her as an artist.

Her identity had been stripped away.

She didn't want to create another piece that many would not favor, but in the midst of this, she didn't have the motivation to create art anymore.

To her, and to everyone else who may be struggling with these views: Realism is not everything.

I know so many people who have the passion for art and the ideas to do it, but they're always defeated with the thought that they're just not good enough. While realism and technique might validate you as a "good" artist, sometimes you as your own artist is worth so much more.

It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child. ~ Pablo Picasso

Sometimes, it's the emotion and feeling that sparks an artist to create that distinct style — it's the meaning that the artist wants to put forth that causes their level of technique to change. It's that intention that takes their fingers and drags their brush against the paper with emotions the heart could never name. It's that same distinct voice in every single one of their artworks that makes people instantly recognize a piece as their art.

So, to my friend and many others: Don't let others take your voice away. Don't let others change your identity.

Whether if it's your voice as an artist or your voice as a human being, don't let the narrow mindsets of others obscure your identity.

I know you have probably heard this a thousand times before, but let yourself be true.

In a society such as yours, you don't want to wear the same conforming mask as the sea of faces around you. What's so much more fulfilling is taking that initial spark that's wholly yours and letting it grow into a fire so contagious that others will be awestruck and inspired to do the same.

Be you.