How to Become Blissfully Confident in an Imperfect World: An Artist Point of View

Hello there,
Most of us do suffer from self-confidence. It is prevalent in the world.

I grew up without my parents since I was 7, so most things I have learned in life at a very young age is about survival. I faked myself through school, self-confidence, bullying, racism, you name it, but I was independent and courageous, or perhaps I was just blissfully ignorant.

What my independence taught me is that our mind is a powerful tool. Whatever we believe in becomes our reality.

Years ago, when I've decided that I was going to make a living from my art. My only support system was my husband, Paul. He believed in my art, and was and still is my biggest fan, even when I was completely unsure of what my outcome would be.

When the opportunity to open our own "Art Gallery" presented itself, we did just that. 
 
As I reflect back, when Paul and I took the leap of faith to open our own art gallery, what got us there, was courage not so much confidence.

But I wanted to be a successful working artist so badly that I wasn't going to give up the opportunity to become one when it was time to prove that I can.

I believe confidence is earned by doing things that you are afraid of, or have no knowledge about, but you do it anyway and that takes Courage. 

For example, if Paul and I didn't stick our necks out there, to feel the discomfort of opening our first art gallery and me, having to be the face of the business, I wouldn't be here today to tell the story and to encourage you to explore the possibility.

Courage plays an enormous role in the success of our business, confidence came later.

So, my creative friend, it doesn't matter how you grow up or what you went through in life. It is up to you as an individual to find a way to gain confidence.

If you want to be a successful artist or entrepreneur, you have to believe that it is possible, but you need to build your courage to become just that because your mind creates your reality.

Your upbringing may have shaped your lack of confidence, but if you want to, you have the power to change it. If you grew up with a lack of self-confidence and you self doubt yourself incessantly, doesn't mean you can't change that thought. And it doesn't mean that you will never be able to accomplish your goals.

Negative thoughts are perceptions, and they are not reality. They cripple us, and they make us question our self-worth.

Which, leads me to the importance of confidence. When you have self-confidence, it shows in the way you create your art, and it also shows how you represent yourself to your peers and your audience.

When you create, you have to trust your knowledge and intuition, but you also need the courage to make mistakes and learn from them.

Confidence takes positive self-reflection. Remember, your art is the way you see the world, which is a truly unique expression. You are the only one with that particular energy, and you are the only one that creates in that voice.

So how do you compare yourself with others? If you think your art is not good enough, the only way to combat that is to keep practicing. With practice, you can get better and better, as your craft improves, so will your confidence.

Confidence is something that you need to do for yourself. It is essential for your livelihood and, you must work at it.

As an artist, you need to be resilient. You are incredibly brave to put your art out to the world and let the world see you in the most vulnerable way. The art critics and your audience are going to react, the way they react is out of your control, but the way you let their words influence your thoughts is in your control.

I find construction criticism useful. It doesn't mean I am going to change the way I create, although if the advice is valid, I learn from it, and if it is not valid, I just let it be an opinion, it gets discarded.

So my fellow artist, keep your thought positive and discard the negative. Negative thoughts can become self-fulfilling prophecies. Do not be afraid to make mistakes. Mistakes can be your greatest asset, allow your mistakes to teach you on how to become a better artist.

Be a confident artist, in yourself and in the way you create art. When you are assertive, your aura will shine and, so will your art. The wonderful thing about self-confidence is that it is learnable because your mind is powerful.

P/S If you find this article helpful, I would really appreciate it, if you would share it with your friends and family, I will be forever grateful.

With Creative Joy,
Ting

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