As you go about your day, suddenly you feel a flood of creative ideas flowing through your mind. All you want to do is to express your creative energy. You just feel compelled to discover what could be revealed. It might still be unformed and raw, but you already sense the different beautiful threads been uncovered. You’ll know soon how all these threads come together to become your art.
In this moment, you feel focused and present. And even if you don’t know where your ideas might take you, you have confidence that you’ll get somewhere. You trust this process of your ideas coming to life. You love what you create. You know who needs your art and why. You trust it will have an impact.
This is you, feeling confident as an artist.
But, as an artist you don’t always live in this confident, connected, creative space. Your self-esteem is challenged at every turn. You don’t always get the audition. You don’t always get to sell your script. You don’t always get to have your show.
Your creative success depends on you having a strong believe in your own creative ability. When the time comes to create, promote, and advocate for your work, you need your confidence in order to move forward along your creative journey.
Trust helps you take on your fears and doubts. It protects your self- worth as you make yourself vulnerable. It helps you feel safe in the face of rejection, invalidation, and other self-esteem threats that come with a art career.
How can you stay confident in your art in a career that is filled with obstacles that challenges your self-esteem at every corner?
Ground yourself in reality while you can still live in the realm of your artistic dreams
I know, reality may not sound so appealing sometimes. Especially when it comes to creativity. Creativity requires living in the dream and fantasy land. It requires passion and imagination. It’s a place where you lead with your heart.
But, you can live in this artistic realm while you maintain your feet grounded in reality. You don’t have to compromise your creative dream world in order to have strong roots in the here and now.
Reality helps you look at yourself with some clarity and to see yourself for who you really are. Your unique talents and skills. Your strengths and your weaknesses. Where and how you fit in the artistic world.
Seeing yourself with some clarity, you can make decisions about what you need to improve or hone. Where to put your efforts, time, and money to develop yourself. You can also see more clearly where is your place as an artist, so you can grab on opportunities that resonate with you.
Keeping one foot in reality allows you to use your passion, fantasy, talents, and skills in a more efficient way.
Ground yourself in your love for your career while you honor other parts of who you are
Yes, put your in your best effort, work hard, and continue to develop your skills. But remember your heart and your passion belong to all parts of your life, not just your artistic pursuits.
Maybe you’re a great actor, but also a great leader. A great screenwriter as well as an advocate. A fine artist and a great teacher too . Let all parts of who you are be expressed. It doesn’t mean that you have to be a lawyer, teacher, or go get some sort of “day job” to express all your talents. It means you can express who you are in ways that fit or add to your artistic career. Find other meaningful work along with your creative career, that can offer you emotional and financial rewards.
You can draw self-esteem and confidence from all aspects of your life. Your self-esteem doesn’t have to be dependent on just one of your identities. You are an artist and so much more.
Ground yourself in the power of authentic relationships
It’s through authentic relationships that you get in touch with our authentic self. And, it’s when you are in touch with your authentic self that you create and perform at your best. When you feel connected, you can move forward from the place of your most grounded, real, and authentic confidence in who you are.
As you navigate all kinds of professional relationships, remember is the genuine feel-good relationships that will get you somewhere.
When you feel rejected, invalidated, or dismissed it’s those that really care about you and believe in you that will preserve your confidence.
Ground yourself in your life real purpose
You may or may not have a purpose. But, if you do have a purpose, it can keep your confidence strong. Your journey is not about proving yourself. Your journey is about fighting for a cause. About bringing awareness to something that society needs to see and make shots toward a better world.
Connecting with a case and the fighting spirit becomes your focus, your confidence in you as an artist goes in the background. You allow it to be what is, and in a strange way you do find the confidence to show up because you’re so passionate about your purpose.
Your artistic confidence grows as byproduct of asserting your purpose.
Ground yourself in your own vision as an artist
Success is not permanent, neither failure. Let your successes and failures inspire you and teach you what you need to see, learn, or transform. In the end is the connection to you vision as an artist that is your core.
Your vision is what fills you with passion, inspiration, and commitment to your journey. To stay true to who you are and what you believe in as an artist, is you ultimate confidence.
Staying connected with your core artistic self is where you find your real power. Despite of your career success and failure waves – that come and go – you remain grounded in your own truth.
There is no perfect artist. Allow yourself to discover your most beautiful creative threads, as you ground yourself in your own quest as an artist.
If you have any questions please contact me for a free consultation.
I am Mihaela Ivan Holtz, Doctor in Clinical Psychology. I help creatives and performers with their life struggles, depression, anxiety, performance anxiety, creativity, relationships and love, PTSD, and addictions – to become their own best version.
You can read more about Therapy for Creatives here.
