ART AND CONFIDENCE

Hello everyone and welcome to new subscribers!

As a creativity coach I often hear from artists that they want to feel more confident, both in themselves and in their art-making. They want to feel stronger about what they are making, and be able to speak about the work and confidently share it with others. They want to be able to take bigger risks and feel less fear around their choices.

I understand this so well myself. For years I was held hostage by my own limiting beliefs about what was possible for me. I am a private person, an introvert, and prefer for others to step into the spotlight, with me cheering them on. While all that is true, it doesn’t have to prevent me from feeling confident in what I do and have to offer through my work as an artist and a coach.

In this month’s blog post I’m sharing some thoughts on what I believe true confidence is, and where it comes from. I like to think of it as a core strength, and something we can cultivate when we feel more connected to who we are and the purpose in our art-making. I hope you find it helpful.

And just a reminder that my monthly blog post is also offered as an audio recording, allowing you to listen rather than read. To listen to the recording just click on the READ MORE OR LISTEN button in the ‘FROM THE BLOG’ section of this newsletter and you’ll find the MP3 file on my website at the bottom of my written post.

If you have any feedback for me, I always love hearing from you. Thank you for reading and sharing this newsletter…it truly is appreciated.

PS: For those of you that are new subscribers I have included a link to find previous issues of my newsletter – full of additional resources for you!

CORE STRENGTH

What do we mean when we say we want to feel more confident? This is an important question to explore for ourselves because I think we often have an idealized idea of what confidence is. We view it as something we have to attain, or that others have and we don’t, or something unattainable for us simply because we experience fear. 

I believe that everyone feels some level of fear and doubt as they push out of their comfort zone. It is quite normal and expected. I was introduced to this idea through the book by Gay Hendricks The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level. In the book he shares the concept that we naturally have an “upper limit problem.” Hendricks tells us that even the most confident people, when faced with a growth opportunity that moves them out of their zone of competence, or excellence, will self-sabotage. Unconscious fears activate the inner critic and give it an opportunity to limit our potential. 

So what is confidence and how can we feel a connection to it for ourselves? I like to think of it as “core strength.” Just like we develop and strengthen our core to support our bodies as they move, we can build internal core strength as well. This foundational, core strength is rooted in self-acceptance and self-trust. That is where true confidence comes from. And from this place we can expand outwards with our desires for ourselves and our art-making. 

When we have a strong inner core, rejection and judgement simply has no place to land. The relationship we have with ourselves will provide us with stability and sustenance, if we simply choose to accept ourselves fully.

This means accepting the shadows, the failings, the brokenness, as well as embracing and honouring our light, our power, and our numerous and wondrous gifts. It means feeding our light more than our darkness, but also leaning in and accepting the natural darkness that all humans have within us. I shared a blog post on this topic called ‘Broken Beauty’ which will offer another way to view and work with this concept.  

Consider the inner critic, the cast of judges that are often moving in and out of your inner space, as companions to be understood, not rejected. Use your discernment and find guidance for yourself through their potential offerings. 

INSPIRATION FOR YOUR ARTIST’S MINDSET

I’M INTERESTED IN : VERONICA RYAN

Art-making is almost always connected to what we’ve experienced, and what we’re interested in. It’s personal.

In this video, British artist Veronica Ryan speaks about her magpie obsession with collecting and using objects that harken back to something meaningful and connected for her. Using seeds, fruit, vegetable trays, volcanic ash, teabags, dried flowers, and pin cushions, Ryan weaves these personal objects into sculptural forms that offer us narratives on her life and ours.

Her work is colourful and viscerally engaging, and delightfully familiar. Veronica Ryan is the winner of the Turner Prize 2022.

PARADOX : ROBERT RYMAN

“In painting something has to look easy, even if it might not be easy. That’s an important part of painting, that it has to have that feeling like it just happened.”

This Art21 video showcases the very pragmatic thoughts of the individualistic American painter Robert Ryman, who is best known for his abstract white on white paintings.

He decided long ago not to be an entertainer, but rather to have the audience find him. He’s stayed true to his vision and artistic interests, and shares a lot about his process, always allowing experimentation to lead, while knowing exactly what he is doing.

LIFE ADVICE FROM A 96 YEAR OLD

Dot Fisher-Smith offers us her sage advice for finding value and meaning in our lives. And for her, it begins with the question “What gives you a sense of awe?”

She describes “awe” as being found both in the extraordinary and the humblest of places.

“Staring up at a starry sky; looking at a sculpture that makes you shudder; listening to a medley of instruments joining into one complex, spine-tingling melody - those experiences remind us that we’re part of something that will exist long after us.”

That is what you offer as an artist, both to yourself and to those that enjoy your work. And, according to Dot, it is the secret to a long and beautiful life as well.

OFFERINGS FOR ARTISTS

Thank you to everyone who has decided to join us for the Vision + Voice program that starts on September 20th! We’re really looking forward to working with you, and helping you to find your authentic connection to your unique vision for your art-making.

As you’ll discover, it all starts with YOU – who you are, what matters to you, and what you most want to express through your art.

If you’re interested in finding out more about this collaborative offering between myself and artist and coach, Kerry Schroeder, please visit our information page HERE.

We’d love to have you join us!

–THE 30 DAY SKETCHBOOK CHALLENGE COURSE–

Looking for a boost for your art-practice?

Have you been wanting a sketchbook practice that supports your art-making and creative process, but you don’t know how to begin?

The 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge Course is an affordable, content rich, self-guided course that can be started at any time, and is always available for purchase on my website.

Once purchased, you’ll have lifetime access to the course and can repeat the Challenge at any time in the future, giving your art-making the boost it might need.

This course also touches on many of the essential aspects of the Artist’s mindset – the ways we can think about and approach our creative work to move past fear and limitations, opening to what is possible for us.

You can find out more about The 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge Course HERE.

You can also email me at info@insightcreative.ca with your questions or for more info.

THE GIFT OF SHARING

For new subscribers – please enjoy these previous issues of my monthly newsletter.
Links to additional back issues can be found on the right sidebar of my blog HERE.

Thank you for subscribing!

If you know of any artists that could benefit from these monthly newsletters, blog posts, or any of my Course Offerings, please share this email with them and invite them to have a look. They’ll receive my free PDF download on ‘How to Make a Creativity Journal’ when they subscribe.