In the art world, change is not often celebrated. It is most times attacked, before being embraced. As an abstract textural artist and muralist, I know firsthand how deeply personal and vulnerable it feels to evolve creatively. Whether you are moving from canvas to walls, from realism to abstraction, from calm neutrals to bold colors, or from traditional techniques to modern mixed-media textures, the journey can be both exhilarating and unsettling.
Let me give you an example.
Camille Pissarro | The Boulevard Montmartre at Night | NG4119 | National Gallery, LondonIn the late 1800’s, during the rise of impressionism, “critics” called this art that you see above laughable. They called it unfinished and even “a slap in the face to the public”. In this time period, the most prestigeous art was created under the rules of the French Academy, which demanded strict realism, historical subjects, smooth brushwork, and idealized beauty. When artists like Claude
Monet, Edgar Degas, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir began painting quick impressions of light, everyday scenes, and visible brushstrokes, the public was horrified.
Their work was rejected from exhibitions, and they were mocked in newspapers.
The lesson here is that now we know that sometimes people aren’t ready for change when it is shown to them. It feels uncomfortable. People want what is familiar, even if it’s wrong, or plain, or unoriginal.
Today, their work is celebrated, but at the time, it was considered a radical betrayal of “real art.
Today, more artists than ever are pushing boundaries—experimenting with new mediums, adopting fresh techniques, and exploring different narratives. But with that growth comes a real inner struggle: What happens to my image? How will collectors respond? What if people don’t understand this new direction?
The rise of Impressionism is a powerful reminder that artistic evolution often requires the courage to be misunderstood. When Monet, Renoir, and Degas stepped away from the strict, polished realism of their time, they faced rejection, ridicule, and the fear of losing their reputation—yet they continued because their new style felt true to their creative spirit. Their story teaches modern artists an essential lesson: when you feel pulled toward a new medium, technique, or direction, you may face doubt from others and even from yourself, but transformation is rarely comfortable at the beginning. Just like the Impressionists trusted their own vision even when the world wasn’t ready, we can embrace our personal artistic changes with patience, resilience, and confidence that growth often looks like “failure” before it becomes innovation.
Yves Klein | Untitled Blue Monochrome, (IKB 322) (1959)
Yves Klein was a groundbreaking French artist who transformed the meaning of painting by reducing it to pure colour. In 1959, he created Untitled Blue Monochrome (IKB 322) using his patented International Klein Blue — a deep ultramarine pigment meant to evoke emotion and the immaterial. Unlike traditional or representational art, Klein offered no figures, no landscapes, no narrative — just colour as an experience. It was a radical departure from everything the art world had traditionally valued.
One of Klein’s blue monochromes recently sold for €18.4 million (over USD 21 million), proving how powerful authentic innovation can be, even decades later. His work is a reminder that artists cannot fear change or experimentation. When you follow your inner vision — even if it defies expectations — authenticity ultimately wins.
To every artist standing at the edge of something new: be fearless. The world doesn’t need you to repeat what you’ve already mastered — it needs the version of you that is willing to leap, experiment, and disrupt your own boundaries. Try the technique that scares you. Switch the medium that whispers to your soul. Break your own rules. The truth is, nothing extraordinary is created from hesitation. Your boldness is your magic. Your curiosity is your compass. And your authenticity is the only thing that will ever truly set your work apart. So stop holding back — your next masterpiece is waiting on the other side of your courage!
I will leave you with one last thought and one special artist that influenced me greatly. I was shopping in Ikea one random day years ago and a pillow caught my eye. This pattern above, was a special artist collaboration that Ikea had with a Swedish artist called Per B Sundberg. He is known in Sweden to be “provocative”. There were other items, and different patterns but this one stuck with me. I obviously bought it, and I never got sick of it. I am still obsessed with it today! Why? I have no idea. It’s weird, random and has a really ugly face in the middle. I can’t tell you why I love it but that’s the point. It’s obvious this artist does not focus on his audience and what the viewers will think. He creates for himself, and this is why authenticity is the best trait you can have as an artist.
Per B. Sundberg’s work is wildly different from anything most people expect to find in a mainstream store—bold, chaotic, surreal, humorous, and unapologetically strange. His patterns and objects break every rule of traditional design, proving that art doesn’t need to be “pretty” or predictable to be powerful. And what’s incredible is how something as simple as a pillow from his IKEA collection—mass-produced, affordable, and meant to be casually tossed on a couch—can completely transform someone’s life. One unexpected encounter with his unconventional style can spark inspiration, open creative doors, or even reshape an entire artistic career. That’s the beauty of authentic art: it doesn’t need permission to change you. It just finds you, speaks to you, and leaves you different than before.
So this is my invitation to you. Keep changing your style if it feels authentic. Don’t worry about changing, evolving, and growing. Don’t worry about what others think, because art that truly speaks to people will be the art that you make for yourself and yourself only.
