Overcoming Self-Doubt as a Creative: 5 Tips to Boost Your Confidence
I love creating new things and the feeling of finishing a piece that I've been working on. But occasionally, a voice creeps up in the back of my mind telling me that it's not good enough. Due to my tendency to overthink, I end up spiraling into a flurry of irrational, negative thoughts about myself, such as thinking that I'm doing everything wrong or that I'm just not good enough.
After some time passes, these thoughts usually subside, but then I realize that during this episode, I could have been creating another piece or doing something more valuable with my time. This cycle happens constantly, and it's a mixture of insecurities and thought patterns amplifying them. Unfortunately, there is no cure for insecurities, as everyone has them. However, you can change the way you think about them, which can make a huge difference. Here are five things you can do:
1. Take a Break from Social Media
Social media is one of the biggest triggers for self-doubt cycles. Although it can be a great tool for creatives to get information, inspiration, and connect with others, anything you see, including the accomplishments of others, can be filtered through the lens of your insecurities and lead to unnecessary comparisons. The constant updates and visual overload can also distract you and make you feel like everything is moving too fast. If you're currently experiencing this, know that everything is fine.
Disconnecting allows you to slow down and refocus your thoughts on yourself. This is an important step in changing your thought patterns.
2. Reflect on the Good Things in Your Life
Take a moment to become aware of your surroundings, the sounds outside, your computer running, your neighbors yelling at each other. Spend 5 to 15 minutes, however long you need, to focus on the simple things around you. This is to help you realize that despite how you feel about yourself, the world keeps on going.
When you feel up to it, grab a notebook and start writing down all the good things in your life, such as your family, loved ones, job, pets, and accomplishments you've achieved lately, no matter how big or small. Once you're done, read over the list and let it sink in. This can help tip the scales back to normalcy.
3. Accept Your Insecurities and Be Kind to Yourself
Everyone has insecurities, and nobody is immune to them. Your strength could be someone else's insecurity and vice versa. The difference lies in how we think about our insecurities. If you embrace them, you can adjust your thinking and be kinder to yourself. For example, if you think of yourself as a slow learner, instead of thinking, "I'll never be good enough," you can adjust your thinking to, "I'm a slow learner, so I'll just need more time to pick this up." The way you think about your insecurities can affect you emotionally and physically, so treat yourself with kindness.
4. Take a Walk Outside
Walking outside allows you to change your surroundings and is extremely important when you're feeling disheartened. Being able to notice nature and the world moving around you can help bring a sense of calm and remove you from the cycle of negativity.
Try daily walks or hikes where you only have positive thoughts about your life. Reaffirm who you are, think about what you're grateful for, and think optimistically about your future. Positive thoughts can manifest themselves into reality, and this is a daily practice that can help when you're prone to negative thoughts.
5. Learn Something New
Acquiring knowledge and bettering yourself is helpful in many ways, including when experiencing episodes of self-doubt. As a creative, it helps to have other outlets to express ideas. When you're working with a medium for an extended period of time, being able to learn something new helps relieve the pressure of trying to perfect a technique/tool in another. Learning a new tool or skill can also help loosen that part of your brain to relax and enjoy creating freely. It's kind of cool to think that you've learned a new skill, too!
The most important thing is creating freely and being proud of your work. The feeling of "not being a good enough creative" can be remedied by having a good state of mind and feeling good about yourself. While it's certainly hard to maintain that mindset, it's not impossible. Eventually, you'll get to a point where that cycle is recognizable, and you'll know how to deal with it. And if you ever need a reminder, remember that you're an amazing creative! Keep being awesome!
If you struggle with self-doubt, try implementing these five tips into your daily routine. By disconnecting from social media, reflecting on the good things in your life, accepting your insecurities and being kind to yourself, taking a walk outside, and learning something new, you can change the way you think about yourself and your work. These tips can help you break the cycle of negativity and get back to creating freely and being proud of your work.