My Retail Job and My Life as an Artist Have More in Common Than People Think

People often assume my retail job and my creative work exist in completely different worlds.

One involves helping customers, solving problems, and navigating busy shifts.

The other involves creating art, writing blogs, designing products, and building a brand from the ground up.

But the longer I’ve done both, the more I’ve realized they share something important:

Neither is for the weak.

Both require resilience.

Both require patience.

And both require the ability to keep showing up, even when things don’t go your way.

In retail, not every customer is kind.

You learn how to handle criticism, frustration, misunderstandings, and difficult situations without letting them destroy your confidence.

You learn how to stay professional even when someone is having a bad day.

As an artist, the challenges are different but often just as personal.

You spend hours creating something only for it to receive little attention.

You launch a product and hear crickets.

You share your work online knowing that some people will love it, some will ignore it, and some may criticize it.

You learn very quickly that creating anything meaningful requires vulnerability.

And vulnerability requires courage.

As a modern artist, I’ve also chosen to embrace technology and use AI openly as part of my creative process.

That decision alone requires thick skin.

AI is one of the most debated tools in the creative world today.

Some people support it.

Some people don’t.

But I’ve learned that artists have always adapted to new tools and technologies.

Photography was once criticized.

Digital art was once criticized.

Graphic design software was once criticized.

Today, AI is part of that conversation.

For me, AI doesn’t replace creativity—it helps me explore ideas, create concepts, tell stories, and bring visions to life in new ways. The creativity, direction, editing, and heart behind the work are still mine.

And just like in retail, not everyone will agree with the way I do things.

That’s okay.

I’ve learned that growth often happens when you’re willing to keep going despite criticism.

A rude customer doesn’t define my value.

A negative comment doesn’t define my talent.

A slow sales month doesn’t define my future.

And someone disagreeing with my creative tools doesn’t define me as an artist.

But perhaps the biggest surprise is that both paths have taught me how to love myself—just in different ways.

Retail taught me that my worth is not determined by a customer’s mood, a complaint, or whether I can make everyone happy.

It taught me boundaries.

It taught me patience.

It taught me that I can handle more than I think I can.

Art taught me to embrace who I am.

It taught me that my voice matters, even when it’s different.

It taught me that creativity doesn’t need permission to exist.

It taught me to stop hiding parts of myself and to share my story anyway.

Retail taught me strength.

Art taught me self-expression.

Together, they’ve taught me self-respect.

They’ve taught me that I don’t need everyone’s approval to be worthy.

I don’t need to be perfect to have value.

And I don’t need to fit someone else’s definition of success to be proud of the life I’m building.

Whether I’m helping customers at my day job or creating art online, I’m putting something of myself out into the world.

Sometimes people appreciate it.

Sometimes they don’t.

But showing up anyway is where the real strength comes from.

Because at the end of the day, both retail workers and artists develop something incredibly valuable:

Tough skin, a strong heart, and the ability to love themselves even when the world doesn’t always understand them.

And neither path is for the weak. 💜

— Abby Juli Diaries

“Creating, healing, and growing one day at a time.”