Part ego, part courage, and part learning to laugh at yourself.
Feeling Big in a Small Kingdom
Let’s be honest.
At some point in life, we’ve all been the biggest fish in the pond.
Everyone knows you.
They know what you do.
Some people might even be a little intimidated by you. The moment you walk into the room, the atmosphere shifts.
Yes… that’s you.
But here’s the funny part: Are you big because the pond is small… Or does the pond simply feel small because you’ve outgrown it? This is where art therapy delivers one of its gentlest reality checks.
The pond whispers,
“You’re amazing.”
But at the same time, it quietly leaves something unsaid:
“Because this place was designed exactly to your size.”
Comfort zones are beautifully deceptive. From the inside, they often feel exactly like success.
The “What Am I Even Doing Here?” Moment
, one day…
Somehow, you find yourself in the ocean. No one knows your name. No one has been waiting for you. And perhaps most unsettling of all; no one cares yet how “good” you are.
Your first reaction?
A slight wave of panic.
Followed by that familiar inner voice:
“What am I even doing here?”
Ironically, this is exactly where growth begins.
Art therapy offers a beautiful perspective on moments like these. Feeling smaller isn’t necessarily a setback. Sometimes it’s simply your ego cracking open. Because for the very first time, you realize something profound: You are not merely a reflection of the place you came from. And yes… For a while, nobody applauds. Nobody notices. But something far more important begins to happen. For the first time, you start hearing your own voice more clearly than everyone else’s.
A Dose of Reality: We All Live Both Lives
Let’s be completely honest. None of us is enlightened enough to live in the ocean forever.And none of us is comfortable enough to stay in the pond forever.Life has an interesting rhythm. You thrive somewhere and think,
“I think I’ve finally made it.”
Then you step into a completely new world and suddenly think,
“Wow… maybe I don’t know anything after all.”
Oddly enough, that cycle isn’t embarrassing. It’s healthy. Art works the same way. Sometimes you grow by refining what you already know. Other times, you grow by allowing yourself to fall apart and creating something entirely new.
The Real Question (It Might Sting a Little)
So here’s the uncomfortable question. Do you want to look bigger… Or do you want to become bigger? Looking big only requires finding the right pond. Growing, however, requires stepping into an ocean that feels unfamiliar.
An ocean that challenges you.
An ocean that humbles you.
An ocean that occasionally makes you question yourself.
And let’s admit it…
Most of us choose the pond far more often than we’d like to confess. ��
A Small Confession
Perhaps the most honest answer is this: First, we fall in love with ourselves in the pond. Then, somewhere out in the ocean, we meet ourselves all over again. And if we’re lucky, we eventually reach a point where where we are matters less than who we are becoming. Because in the end, this was never really about being a fish.
It was always about discovering the depth of your own waters.
Tuğba Yazıcı
Artist, Writer & Producer
Instagram: @tugbayaziciofficial
Facebook: Tuğba Yazıcı
