Something inspirational:
"Your art is not about how many people like your work your art is about if your heart likes your work if your soul likes your work it's about how honest you are with yourself and you must never trade honesty for relatability.”
RUPI KAUR, Milk and Honey
It's easy to get caught up in expectations and to let others define us. Listening to ourselves is all that matters.
If we can do that in our work then we are very fortunate indeed.
Sadly, the world is very much the driving force behind what we think and feel and to fit in we allow others to define us. Luckily, from an early age, I haven't personally drawn myself into it, because I was already well aware of my mental and emotional struggles.
But I am under no illusion that for us to fit in to 'our lives' we rely on other people and their expectations. You're right, we need to be listening to ourselves. At the end of the day, we are all we've got.