Creating Without An Audience

Humans create. Always. It doesn't matter if anyone is watching, listening or even aware of it. We paint, write, compose, sculpt, code, dream - and we do it whether applause is waiting or not. Creation is how we process the world and ourselves. Of late, I've been spending my days in my apartment, headphones on, diving deep into the NEOVYK project: music, video experiments, writing, even coding for my web app. I wake up excited, lose track of time and fall asleep already thinking about the next day. Twice in the past weeks, I've watched the sunrise through my studio window - quite a view, not going to lie, though definitely not the healthiest routine. Here's what intrigues me: we often trick ourselves into believing our worth comes from likes, streams or validation. But strip all that away and the act of creating still remains. It doesn't vanish. Music still appears in my DAW. None of it needs approval - only the impulse to make. I've tested this while stepping back from social media, streaming numbers and the imagined gaze of someone watching or judging. My music didn't lose its identity. The songs I love making, the sounds that fascinate me, the worlds I explore through NEOVYK - they still happen, audience or not. Of course, the urge to share and connect is human. And yes, that inner voice still creeps in sometimes: "Will anyone listen to this?" - like an ad you never asked to see. It's annoying and makes me feel foolish. I wrestle with that urge to post, to show a snippet, to chase a quick dopamine spike. When I cave in - and I have, many times - I often delete things a day or two later, realizing it wasn't about the music at all. It was about that damn validation. Even when it gets attention, it feels just as empty. Inspiration is still at the heart of everything. It's essential - whether being inspired or inspiring someone else. Avicii opened a door for me, gave me the language and courage to express what I couldn't yet articulate: electronic music. Today, the urge to make it doesn't come from praise or recognition. It comes from somewhere deeper - from the desire to say something. Creating without an audience can be messy, quiet, even a little humiliating at times. You can wonder endlessly if it matters. And yet, that doesn't stop us. Humans create. It's what we do. And the world will keep spinning, even if no one notices. So... go make that. Thank you for reading "Inside The Mind Of An Artist". Until next time, Vítor