Skyros Blog

It’s Not About Being Good

By Skyros Holidays

Tuesday 19th August 2025

It’s Not About Being ‘Good’: Why Great Art Starts with Story

There’s a reason so many people stop making art after childhood. Somewhere along the line, someone tells us we’re not good at it. Maybe it’s a teacher, a classmate, or that little voice in our own heads. We stop drawing, stop painting, stop trying. Why? Because we start believing the lie that art is only valuable if it’s ‘good.’

But what if the question isn’t “Is this good?” What if the real question is: “What’s the story I’m trying to tell?”

Art is Expression, Not Performance

Whether it’s a painting, a sketch, a song or a splash of colour on canvas, art begins with feeling. With noticing. With being moved by something, finding a question that needs answering and needing a way to respond. It might not look polished or perfect, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. In fact, the most powerful art is often the rawest.

Vincent Van Gogh, now considered one of the world’s greatest painters, never sold a single artwork in his lifetime. Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose graffiti-style work exploded with meaning, was once dismissed as messy. Tracey Emin turned the contents of her bedroom into an iconic installation. None of these works were neat or traditionally ‘beautiful’. But they told stories. And that made them unforgettable.

Why Our Brains Love Story

Research from Princeton University shows that our brains are wired for narrative. When we hear or witness a story, our brain mirrors the experience as if it were our own. That’s why great art can move us deeply, even if we don’t understand all the details. It’s not about flawless lines or perfect proportions, it’s about connection.

As Skyros writing facilitator Diane Connell says, “Don’t let the talking become the writing.” In other words, don’t get caught up in analysing the idea before you let it live. Just begin.

Creating Without the Pressure

On a Skyros holiday, you don’t need a portfolio or an art degree to pick up a paintbrush. In fact, many guests haven’t drawn anything since school. But surrounded by sea, trees, and friendly faces, something shifts. You stop worrying about being good and start tuning into how you feel.

Michael Gahagan’s art sessions, for example, focus on the joy of looking. Of slowing down enough to see colours, shapes, shadows. One guest described it like this:

“I started painting what I saw… but ended up painting what I remembered. It was like my whole week ended up on the page.”

That’s the story. That’s the point.

You Don’t Need Permission to Create

There’s a quiet rebellion in making something just for yourself. Not to sell, not to impress, not even to share. Just to remember how it feels to make. That’s what so many guests discover on a Skyros holiday: not the pressure to perform, but the freedom to express.

So next time you hesitate, wondering if your art is ‘good enough’, ask a different question: Does it feel honest? Does it say something true?

Because the world doesn’t need more perfect art. It needs more true art.