Last week I loved my art. This week I hate it.
Seriously, my art keeps breakin’ this woman’s heart, as The Persuader’s song goes. It’s not that suddenly I start making crap art - although I certainly have times when that’s true - it’s more that I allow the three little Self-Family gremlins into my studio: Self-Doubt, Self-Judgment, Self-Criticism. Know what I mean?
To keep those testy triplets under control, I’m working on my creative confidence muscle, strengthening it with daily upbeat sketchouts (like a workout but with a pencil) so I can flex it whenever I’m facing mistakes or just a rough day in the studio. So, what exactly is creative confidence, and how can we build it? Creative confidence is the belief in our ability to dream up new ideas and create art that’s unique and true to us. It’s a muscle we can flex to feel safe about taking risks, making mistakes, and not falling apart if we “fail.” It’s the confidence to try something new without being overly self-critical; the self-awareness that failure is a necessary part of art-making and not just an unwanted side-effect. As the adage goes, if you’re not failing, you’re not creating. Creative confidence is a key factor in growing a healthy, productive, successful (whatever your version of that is) art practice.
Yeah, yeah, that all sounds great, but I know it’s not that easy.
It’s not easy. Creative confidence is a delicate, easily bruised creature that requires constant care. Think of it like that old digital toy, the Tamagotchi: a tiny pet that needs frequent feeding, loving, and attention otherwise it heads to pixel heaven. Creative confidence won’t survive if it’s neglected or regularly beaten down by failure without an equal input of reward, praise, and celebration.
I find that my creative confidence ebbs and flows. I can be particularly nervy when I’m sharing new work or if I’ve taken a slightly different path than expected - like starting this Substack - but I have a few strategies I use to keep that little Confidence pet alive:
Know what you’re asking of your art practice. Being clear about the purpose of your art-making is vital to cultivating creative confidence. What do you need in your practice? Is your art giving you what you want? If yes, then why worry about a few failures?
Know your core values. Confidence can take a severe knock when someone questions our values, so keep checking in with yourself and ask the difficult questions: Why am I making this? What am I trying to say? What difference will it make? What do I want to achieve with this? If you’re sure of your values, it won’t matter what folks say about your art.
Stay soft with yourself. Have boundaries within your practice that support your fragile heart. Let go of expectations and self-judgment. Learn how to ask for considered criticism and how to accept feedback without putting up a brick wall.
Evaluate! I know I say this all the time! Build upon what you’ve already achieved, learn from your “mistakes” and understand how your individual art story can work for you as a confidence booster.
Keep a celebration log. I screenshot positive comments on my work on Instagram and keep them in a “Celebration” folder on my laptop. When my confidence is low I head to that folder for positive support. Sometimes I print a comment and stick it on my painting wall. Praise yourself! Celebrate wins. DON’T SCREENSHOT NEGATIVE COMMENTS!
Create an inner circle or mastermind group with other artists you trust. Have mentors - everyone needs a mentor. Be a mentor to others. Connecting and sharing with other artists is one of the best ways to build creative confidence. What’s an inner circle/mastermind group? It’s a group of peers (not necessarily in the same industry) who commit to supporting each other in achieving their goals. I know many membership-based artist mentorship programs are springing up online, but in my experience, nothing beats working closely with a few fellow, trusted artists. I’m always up for joining mastermind groups if you need support.
TAKE SOCIAL MEDIA BREAKS! Often. Seek out the artist disruptors, the folks who don’t care about the algorithm, those who don’t play the game, and those who will make the effort to check your account.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT: re-center yourself in the joy of art making. What a wonderful gift you have! Focus on how good you feel when you’re creating. Dial up the pleasure, dial down the negative self-talk.
Do you have any strategies for building creative confidence that you’d like to share?
Until next time.
JC
Resources I value when it comes to strengthening my creative confidence muscle:
This wonderful book by adrienne maree brown:
This little video by David Sherry (artist-disruptor who founded the photo stock company Death to Stock)
These fun, positive affirmation cards I made for myself in Canva (find the template in Canva pro)
Oh I love the positive creatures!! :D <3 Some things I've started doing is "hiding post likes" on instagram, because it reminds me that I deem a good photo doesn't have to be destroyed by the fact that only a handful of people like it - IT'S ALL CURATED BY A ROBOT. I should print *that* statement to post above my desk. lol