What is holding you back?
Confidence may not be the first thing you think of in relation to creativity, but it is essential to creative exploration and practice.
Confidence is one part of creativity that often is ignored.
The thoughts we have can affect our confidence in all things, not just creativity. How many times have you thought things like “I’m not any good at this”, “I’ll never be able to paint like <that person>”, “Why do I even try”? Your mind believes what you say.
Creative confidence comes with practice, just like many other skills. The more things you try, the more confident you become.
How can we nurture our creative confidence? Here are some tips….
New experiences allow new ideas. Take yourself on an artist date. See, do, try something new.
Stop the scroll. Instagram and Pinterest are great for collecting inspiration, but there is a time that you just need to stop looking. You have your inspiration, so now is the time to create.
Lower your expectations. Allow yourself to just play with no predicted outcome.
Use positive “I am” statements. Remember your brain believes what you say, so say good things. I have a post-it on my wall that says “I am a brilliant and successful artist”. Add some reminders to your creative space.
Socialize. Find a group of artists to hang out with. Groups can boost your confidence by sharing ideas and realizing that everyone has the same insecurities.
Know where you fit in. Find the right places for your art if you are sharing it. There is an audience for every kind of art, you just have to find them.
“A failure is only a failure if nothing is learned from it.”