Hi, introvert guy. Welcome to PC. I fight social phobia, too. It makes it tough to keep working toward the things that are important to you, like making art.

You say that a lot of self help material doesn't cover exactly what you feel; I'm sure that's true. But self esteem books will help you strengthen one aspect of your personality, and there are great books about social phobia and anxiety. I am an introvert and I can definitely cherry-pick the relevant material from those books. I've also found CBT techniques and therapy to be helpful in a short time.

Sometimes there are other issues lurking behind the social phobia. It's great that you're looking for a therapist. They'll be able to point you to resources and will help you to work through any underlying issues.

You can definitely better who YOU are without following the crowd. Even though it's hard for you right now, it sounds like you're on the right track.