Confidence is important in art. Why? Because it enables us to keep creating regardless of what is happening around us. Without confidence, little things can deter us from making art. So here are 8 tips from an artist on how to build creative confidence!
Inhale possibility, exhale creativity.
In some of my recent posts, I already talked about that we are all artists. But somehow along the way, we lost – or rather forgot or suppressed – our natural creativity.
If that happens, it often takes place during our childhood. For example, an art teacher might have told you that you are not talented enough. It is also possible that your peers laughed about a picture that you painted.
Or, when you articulated an interest in the arts, your parents might have told you to stop that nonsense because art doesn’t pay the bills. Most of us have experienced one or more of such ‘creativity-crushing’ moments.
Once we are grown up, we might not even remember the experience anymore. That will make it even harder to figure out the cause of our lacking creative confidence. Nevertheless, such an experience is capable of solidifying the idea in our minds that we are not creative people. We might see ourselves as rational or practical people.
But even when we already started to create art as adults and put our work out there to the world on social media and art sharing sites, it may happen that we feel insecure about our creations. Maybe we don’t receive the feedback we were hoping for, maybe someone posts a disapproving comment.
It is a fact that many people are scared to make art at some point in their lives – for whatever reasons. That’s why we all need to work on ourselves and build that creative confidence that allows us to keep following our passion happily!
Related: Self-Expression Through Art: Why Art Is A Good Way To Express Yourself
What is the meaning of creative confidence?
“Creative confidence is the notion that you have big ideas, and that you have the ability to act on them.”
That’s a quote by David Kelley, the founder of IDEO. Even though Kelley had the creative confidence in mind that you need as a problem solver in your working life, it still holds true for artists, too.
Because also artists who create traditional or digital art need to have the power to act on their creative ideas.
In a recent post, I talked about why it takes courage to be creative.
Confirming the famous quote,
“Creativity takes courage.”
it is undoubtedly true that creativity does take a lot of courage.
As artists, we express our innermost feelings through our artwork. Our art reflects both our personality and our identity. When we showcase our art, on the internet or in a physical venue, it can feel like putting our heart out there to the world.
Even though many people will appreciate and value our work, we also expose ourselves to potential criticism and rejection. That requires a certain level of confidence and courage.
Why is confidence important in creativity?
Getting started creating art is probably the hardest. But even if you’ve been an artist for a couple of years, things may get rocky at times. That’s why it is important to know how to build creative confidence.
We all crave validation. We want to be appreciated. And we want our art to be valued. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s just human.
If we talk to the right people who give us feedback in a way that motivates and encourages us to create more art, everything is fine. That doesn’t mean that the feedback always needs to be ‘positive’ or ‘admiring’. Constructive criticism is very useful to help us improve.
However, comments that are simply rude and disrespectful can easily pull us down, if we haven’t learned to deal with them.
Every artist might find themselves in that situation at one point in their career and it’s crucial that we have effective coping mechanisms in place to keep our creative juices flowing!
“Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.”
More inspirational quotes: 110 Quotes About Artistic Inspiration To Keep You Going!
How can I improve my creative confidence?
As you are here and reading this post, I know you love to create art. That’s why I want to encourage you to pursue your passion. I want to show you how to build creative confidence so that no one can take away the joy you feel when making art and make you question your creativity.
Here are my eight best tips to help you improve your creative confidence! Let’s dive in!
8 Tips on how to build creative confidence
TIP #1: Stop questioning your creativity.
Am I an actual artist? Is my work good enough? Is it real art? Do I have enough talent? What if nobody likes my art?
Are you guilty of questioning your creativity in one of these ways or another? You are not the only one. Many artists tend to question themselves, even when they have been making art for a long time. I am one of those artists, too.
It is a pointless and frustrating thought process to come back to over and over again. The only explanation that I have found is that society teaches us that being an artist is not a ‘real job’. We learn that we cannot simply follow our passion.
Making art doesn’t pay the bills. We are not real artists if we didn’t go to art school. We don’t make good art if it is not getting published in art magazines and galleries. We are not good enough if we don’t receive thousands of Likes on social media.
None of this is true. Thinking about it just robs us of our energy. Stop questioning your creativity and just keep on making art!
Stay inspired all year long!
TIP #2: Your art is unique.
Part of how we learn a new skill is through imitation. While it is okay to learn from copying art when you are a beginner, it is important to honor your own creativity.
It is normal that when we are seeing great work from another artist that we love, we want our creations to look just the same. But you are not that artist. You are you, and the art you create is unique.
Don’t expect your art to look like the art of other artists. Simply let their artwork inspire you and focus on learning new skills and techniques from them. Over time, you will automatically develop your unique art style.
TIP #3: Surround yourself with uplifting people.
Our life tends to be quite competitive. People are competing with each other in their jobs, in sports, … and it’s just the same in the art world. There are countless art competitions that you can join (most for a participation fee).
However, you don’t need to get into competition with other artists, if it doesn’t feel good to you. For many reasons, it is often healthier to leave the competitive rat race behind and create a safe space for your inner artist to thrive.
It can be incredibly helpful to surround yourself with uplifting people, who appreciate what you are doing and support you. This can be other artists who are still in the process of developing their skills, who already have long years of experience and encourage you to keep going, or just people who like your art and yourself.
Being within a community of people who nurture each other – even if it is ‘only’ an online community – makes it so much easier to build creative courage.
TIP #4: Don’t be too harsh with yourself.
Reasonable judgment of your art helps make progress. But if you are too harsh with yourself, you are choking your creativity.
We all have an inner critic, but judging our work – especially when we are still in the creative process, can be extremely counterproductive.
Instead of discarding an idea if you are not satisfied with how things are turning out, it is better to just follow through and finish the work. If you cannot finish it at that point in time, just put it aside and give yourself some time.
Give your creative genius more room to experiment. If you go about your artistic process in a playful manner, you are more able to push your creative boundaries and enjoy the process.
TIP #5: Your reaction is a choice.
When someone attacks your creativity, in whatever form, you can choose how you want to react. Or that you don’t want to react at all.
Instead of letting the negative comment pull you down and dwelling on how mean that person is, you can write a reply. Of course in a polite, non-offensive manner. Replying to rude comments can take courage, too, especially if you are the introvert type.
Nevertheless, voicing out your standpoint in response to an unjust comment can be an incredibly empowering experience, and you might also get the support of others who are also disapproving of the comment in question.
But you really don’t need to react at all, if you don’t want to. You can simply quietly distance yourself from the people who try to bring you down. Just remember that Buddhist saying:
“Your energy is sacred and should be preserved at any cost.”
Nobody has the right to ruin your joy and happiness.
If someone attacked you on your own social media profile or artist website, consider deleting the comment (if you don’t intend to reply or just let it sit there). Your virtual profiles are like your living room. You don’t just invite anyone over and let them mess up your place. You want to make sure that your living room is nice and neat.
However you choose to react, don’t let the comment deter you from creating art!
TIP #6: Don’t let your fears stop you.
We all tend to be afraid of how our creations will be received by the public. But sometimes our fears may build up and paralyze us completely. This may be even more so, if we are already ‘the anxious type of person’.
Some of the most talented artists have abandoned their passion for ‘fear’. The fear of not being good enough. The fear of being judged. The fear of failing.
To not let that happen to you, it is important to look at your fears in a rational way. You will discover that most of your fears are not justified. They are merely a reflection of your inner sceptic running amok.
I’m sure you’ve often heard that the greatest breakthroughs take place at the end of the chaos. To get there, you need to be persistent!
TIP #7: Don’t listen to the naysayers.
Following our passion is something that society still doesn’t consider ‘normal’. Especially if your passion is all about ‘making art’.
Once you decide to make your passion a full-time or side-business, you might face prejudice at yet another level. Most likely, all the naysayers might come to warn you. Warn you that you cannot make money with art. Warn you that you are not made to be an artist.
No doubt that some of these comments might come from a place of good intentions and genuine worry. But it is also possible that people unconsciously want to deter you from living your creative passion.
Maybe those people don’t have the confidence to unapologetically pursue their own passion. Maybe they allowed other people to deter them from realizing their dream in the past. Maybe they don’t want you to step out of the line, so they don’t need to face their own fears that prevent them from standing up for themselves.
Whatever might be the reason, don’t listen to the naysayers. Their opinions don’t reflect the objective truth of what is possible. Set your own limits and follow your heart’s calling!
TIP #8: Be grateful for what you’ve already accomplished.
My last tip on how to build creative confidence is all about gratitude.
Being grateful is incredibly powerful and helps you feel grounded in your art. Take a step back and take some time to contemplate where you have come from.
Just think of all the things you had to learn before being able to start creating. If you are a digital artist, you have learned to work with a graphics tablet. You have also learned to use a software program.
I know that the digital art software is definitely the hardest and most time-consuming part to learn. If you have mastered only have of the functions of a program like Photoshop, you have done an awesome job!
Related: 7 Must-Have Skills You Need To Be A Digital Artist [& How To Get Them!]
Next, take a look at the artwork you already have created. There are so many beautiful creations that you have made in the past. That is a great accomplishment to be grateful for!
And it is a huge motivational factor, too. Because if you could do it in the past, there is no reason why you wouldn’t be able to make even more awesome art in the future!
Related: My 55 Favorite Inspirational Quotes For Positivity and Motivation ♥︎
I hope this post helps you in learning how to build creative confidence. As usual, I wish you lots of joy and success on your artistic journey. Keep creating and don’t let anything and anybody deter you from your passion! I see you on the next post, Angie
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