Confidence is like a muscle, you have to exercise it to make it grow. Yes, some artists are naturally gifted with more confidence than others but I am almost certain it came from practicing their art, accepting failure, learning from others, doing what they love and challenging their inner critic. In this post I will guide you through these five essentials for how to find your creative confidence.
1. Experiment
Firstly, don’t be afraid to try new mediums. Spend a few hours in an art store, ask questions and experiment with new products you haven’t tried before. Buy the paper that costs a bit more. Try mixed media.
2. Don’t Be Afraid to Fail
Secondly, don’t be afraid to fail. Failure used to make me quit doing something, now I just laugh at my mistakes and move on. And by failure I mean having to create something a certain way or expecting a specific outcome (hello perfectionism)
3. Learn From Others
I can’t stress enough how important this point is. Who do you admire? What styles of creativity intrigue you? Just about every artist has free online challenges, courses and trainings. To challenge yourself, think of what you are scared to start, then go find a YouTube class or an Instagram Live of a process that scares you and start learning and practicing.
When I started watercolour painting, I took as many online beginner course that I could. I even was able to go to a few free workshops in person as well.
Joining Facebook groups is a great way to learn and receive feedback, not just creatively, but business wise as well.
As a creative, do you struggle with confidence?
Even though I share a lot of freebies and tutorials, I held back for years sharing my creations because I feared failure. As creatives, you and I can be held back due to negative thinking. It might look like comparing your ability to others or not having the confidence to pursue your creative talent or putting your creations out into the world.
Is that you? Have you ever found it difficult to cope with imposter syndrome, your inner critic, fear of failure, perfectionistic tendencies, and being hesitant to share your work?
If your answer is yes, I have a Free resource for you. It’s just a click away!
4. Do What You Love
What brings you the most joy? What do you think about when you aren’t doing it? I know for me it is sewing. I love finding or tweaking a great design, cutting out the fabric, pinning and the actual sewing.
If you start with what you love or discover a love for something, your passion will shine through your work. As a result, your collectors or buyers will be drawn to your work.
You will have to practice sharing what you love consistently to grow your confidence. In Sheryl Garrat’s post, Eight Limiting Beliefs That Stop Your From Sharing Your Work, she emphasizes “sharing generously, tell stories and connect with your audience.”
5) Make Friends With Your Inner Critic
The inner critic can show up anywhere: socially, in isolation, online. It can be triggered by something someone says or a situation that had no specific trigger. The artist’s inner critic can initiate as a fear; fear of starting, fear of success or fear of failure.
The inner critic is more active when you are vulnerable; when you are tired or stressed. It could also show up after you have received criticism and have not created a way to compartmentalize where the criticism should go. The inner critic can also show up after a successful launch, show or project that is successful in your eyes.
You will find more ways to recognize and make friends with your inner critic in this helpful post, How to Recognize Your Artist’s Inner Critic
Don’t let any more time go by, get a start right now on recognizing your inner critic with this FREE step by step guide called, “How to Make Friends With Your Inner Critic: Recognize Fear & Step Into Confidence”
In conclusion, confidence takes practice to build. Which one are you working on currently? Make one of your goals this year to find your creative confidence and build into it.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this post and have gleaned some helpful tips to guide you in your creative practice. If you have liked what you have read, please share the love with a comment or a pin. Thank you!
Blessings,
Darlene
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