As artists, we all go through highs and lows. We have phases of excitement and gloominess. When we are in a more gloomy phase, we tend to question everything and we just cannot stop judging our art.
Am I a good enough artist? I feel like my art isn’t good enough. Why does my art look bad? Will I ever succeed as an artist?
Such phases are totally normal and even the greatest artists in history have struggled with self-doubt, fears, and insecurities.
I’m pretty sure you started out to create art because you felt a calling to be an artist. But somewhere along the way, you lost your passion to make art.
Don’t worry. That happens to all of us at one point in time, most likely even several times during our artistic career. The reasons can be many.
Maybe your art got rejected. Maybe someone posted some harsh comment or unfair criticism. Maybe you feel that you don’t develop as an artist. Maybe you are comparing your art to other artists and think that your work is simply not as good as theirs.
Maybe you have unrealistically high expectations, aka perfectionism. I know that trying to make your art perfect is one of the greatest obstacles to our artistic growth. If you are struggling with perfectionism, feel free to check out the article below:
How to stop being a perfectionist artist?
All those experiences that I mentioned above may contribute to us judging our art, and perhaps even hating our art.
Needless to say that judgment, self-doubt, and self-criticism are the biggest blocks to our creativity. And they are the biggest hindrance to succeeding as an artist.
Once you are trapped in such a downward spiral, you might wonder if you’ll ever be able to get out of it and reconnect with your inner creative child that doesn’t constantly bash the worthiness of your art. You might ask yourself questions like:
How do I overcome art jealousy? How do I develop as an artist? How do I stop being insecure about my art? How do I go back to taking my art seriously and regain the joy that I used to get in my creative process?
It’s easy to slide into that state of mind where you think your art just isn’t good enough and that you’ll never be a ‘great artist’. But actually, what makes a great artist is the ability to pull ourselves out of that rut.
As we said above, all artists face struggles and the resilience we develop in the course of our artistic journey is what makes us real artists.
I’ve experienced phases in the past where I was dealing with self-criticism and insecurities. But there are ways to replenish your creative spirit.
Here are my best tips for you to stop judging your art!
5 Steps to stop judging your art
1. Stop comparing & start learning.
One common reason why artists start judging their art is comparison. Especially with all the social media platforms around these days, it is easy to fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others.
The crux is that we tend to compare ourselves to artists who are more experienced and established than we are. And that inevitably results in us feeling like our art is not good enough.
Closely connected to that is the fear that no one likes your art. Nowadays, many artists believe that the number of likes and comments they receive on social media determines the success of their art. If they get only a few likes, they assume that their art must be ‘bad’.
So how do you stop comparing your art?
In the day and age of social media, it is important to realize that a lot of likes don’t necessarily mean that something is good. Likewise, few likes don’t equal to failure. There are many factors that determine ‘popularity’ on social media. Algorithms and posting frequency are just two of it.
Instead of beating yourself up when you see a great artwork, let it inspire you. You are drawn to particular works for a reason.
Maybe you admire the skill level that artist has reached. If that’s the case, then resist the urge to judge their art as being superior to your own. Instead, see it as a motivation to work on your own skills and refine your technique.
Maybe you like the theme or the story the artist tells through their artwork. If so, don’t make the mistake to kick yourself for not being the first one to come up with that idea. Instead, think of ideas for your art that mean something to you and that you wish to share with the world.
Generally speaking, the best way to overcome art jealousy is to consider other artists’ works as a pointer that can help you move in the right direction and unleash more creative potential hidden inside of you!
2. Know your skill level & don’t try to be perfect.
Especially when you are starting out as an artist, your works might look nothing like you imagined. Lines might be wobbly, proportions askew, and the composition might be totally off.
That’s totally normal at the beginning, and it happens to digital and traditional artists alike.
But even when you’ve gathered more experience, some pieces might not turn out exactly like you intended. Every craft takes practice, and that holds true for making art as well.
If you expect your art to be perfect or as good as that artist’s work who has several years more of experience than you, you’ll never succeed as an artist. That is the sad truth.
Perfection is the enemy of art. Here's why you don't have to be perfect:
It is important to know your current skill level and understand that making great art takes years and years of hard work and practice. Don’t try to rush things.
So how to develop as an artist?
Apart from passion, discipline, and perseverance, the best way to develop as an artist is continuous improvement.
Continuous improvement means you are constantly striving to do better. But – and this is the important part – you are not trying to be perfect. After all, how can you improve continuously if you are already perfect?
Give yourself permission to act – imperfectly. But most importantly, do act. No artwork worth finishing will ever get done without daring to take imperfect action regularly.
Don’t be too hard on yourself and forgive yourself for any slip-ups. Self-compassion is key to stop judging your art!
3. Don’t be afraid to experiment & to make bad art.
Creativity is all about trying new things. Evidently, not everything will work out and look good right off the bat.
However, if you allow the fear of rejection and failure keep you from experimenting, you’ll slow down your artistic growth.
So how do you stop being insecure about your art?
First of all, you should understand that the concept of failure is a natural part of creative experimentation. No artist has ever been able to create a masterpiece every time they went into the studio. Not even Picasso.
In one way or another, we are all stumbling our way through trying to find our unique voice as an artist.
However, if you want to reach your highest artistic potential, it is key to experiment and try something new. Don’t be afraid of making ‘bad art’. It’s part of the process.
…and just for you to know, there is always something you can do with your art.
There is an audience for everything and people will appreciate you for sharing your unique perspective with the world. The only thing you need to do is pluck up the courage and get your art out there to be seen!
For more tips, check out the Showcase & Sell Your Art section!
4. Find your tribe & build a supportive community.
As we said above, you are not the only artist struggling with self-criticism and similar issues. That’s why it is helpful to connect with like-minded artists who can understand your struggles. Remember: a problem shared is a problem halved.
With a supportive community around you, you can express your feelings honestly and offer each other advice. This is a great way to avoid falling into the downward spiral of judging your art, because you will quickly realize that what you are going through is a totally normal thing. And this is incredibly empowering.
Depending on where you live, you may find your tribe directly in your neighborhood. For example, in art galleries, community centers, or even local coffee shops. If you cannot find like-minded people where you are living, you can always make connections online.
There are lots of options to build a great online community, from social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to art sharing sites like DeviantArt and Behance (you can always contact me on Instagram or via email, too!).
If you don’t know which platform is right for you, I suggest you simply hang out on them a little bit to see what’s going on. Just like real-life neighborhoods, every online community has its own flavor. Some sites may incline more to traditional art, while others are frequented more by digital artists.
Test the waters and then decide where you want to stay and build your community!
5. Make art that means something to you.
My last tip for you on how to stop judging your art is to make art the really means something to you.
If you make art that is meaningful to you, that reflects your personality and identity as an artists, the act of creating becomes much more satisfying. You create something that is valuable to you. At the same time, you become less dependent on the feedback of the outside world, on likes, comments, and so on.
You will realize that those pieces where you put your heart in are eventually the most important ones, even if they don’t attract so much attention and interest from others.
Taking your art seriously, regardless of what others say, will not only help you build creative confidence but also to be a more happy and successful artist!
You should always be the first to judge your art. To become creatively more confident, I suggest doing the following: before you post a piece figure out what you enjoyed about it, what you didn’t like, what went well, and where you still need to improve.
It’s important to do that before uploading your art to the web or showing it to anybody because once you put it out there, there will be so much noise that it is easy to forget what the piece originally meant to you.
People will look at your work and judge it based on their own taste in art. There is nothing you can do about it. But in the end, it is just their opinion.
If you take the time to find the true value in your art, the number of likes and opinions you receive online won’t deter you anymore from your initial motivation to be an artist.
You’ll get to create the art that is dear to you and that helps you advance on your creative path – joyfully!
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I know that doubting your art and your creative vision is some of the worst and most painful things that you can experience as an artist. I want you to be a happy artist, to enjoy your creative process, and succeed as an artist. That’s why I hope these 5 tips help you stop judging your art.
What do you do when self-doubt and insecurities overcome you? Please leave comments and questions below or reach out to me directly. I’d love to hear from you! Make sure to sign up for my email list below so you don’t miss out on new blog posts and other cool stuff. ♥
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