Do you feel you’re art isn’t good enough? Does your art make you feel negatively about yourself? Or maybe you browse the internet and social media for all the latest and greatest art just to end up feeling negatively about your own work because you’re comparing yourself to other artists. For starters, I am guilty of the latter and found myself not enjoying my work. I felt mentally weighed down by the art and popularity of other artists when browsing online. Second, I found it extremely difficult to focus on my art projects thinking about why my work isn’t popular and how it feels like my work is a lost cause for me and my career. Low self-confidence in my artwork broke down my motivation for making more art. This thinking is extremely toxic not only to your mental health but your physical well-being and your interest in your creative projects. But how do you get more confident with your art? In this article, I explain 10 mindsets that will show you how to be beat art anxiety and be more confident with your artwork and creative projects, while creating a positive mindset that will keep you motivated long-term.
Beat Art Anxiety: How to Be Confident with Your Art and Creative Projects
1. Know that you won’t make a perfect piece every time.
Every artist starts from the beginning, including myself. The beginning, as in making anatomically incorrect characters, perspective, and shading mistakes, to name a few (and I’ve made a bunch of them!). And that’s 100% okay! It just means some artists haven’t fully built up their skill set yet or haven’t learned enough about that subject yet. It doesn’t mean you’re bad at making art, by any mean. Of course, there are a few geniuses at art that whatever they make, it looks amazing, but those artists are extremely rare. That being said, not every piece you make will be perfect whatever your artistic experience. We’re all human, even artists. And like everyone else, we have our good days and our “I don’t like how this turned out” days 🙂
“Know that you can control the amount of time and effort you put into your creative projects and that you’re skill set will keep changing and adapting to you until you feel it’s at the quality you want.”
– Drawism
Some days we make great art or masterpieces, and some days we make “disasterpieces”.
Not making great art every time is completely normal, even among professional artists. When I make work for clients, there are sketches or drawings that look like crap, no joke! If it’s not a final piece, I will usually show my (extremely) rough art to them because they tend to find it quite interesting and may spark new ideas. If you feel like your art isn’t good, think again. Sometimes art directors, clients, or art teachers may find some of your “lesser work” quite interesting and unique, especially if you’re presenting your creative process or need to draw something in 2 seconds.
As long as the piece you’re making seems clear and readable to you, you’re doing great. If you’re working for a client or in art school, you’ll have to explain your art a bit as long as it gets your main idea across.
So don’t feel negative about yourself or your work if you’re not reaching perfection 100% of the time. Instead, know that having off days on your creative projects does happen and that you can make it better.
2. Failing is part of learning.
As artists, we all start from the beginning, including myself. I didn’t reach the technical and mental skill level I’m at today, if I didn’t fail hundreds of times at my work.
The key is to not give up and continue. Because reaching a proficient or professional level of art requires years of time, practice, and dedication, and won’t happen overnight. So don’t be afraid to continue your art from fear of failure. You can overcome art anxiety with enough artistic practice!
Knowing your limits of what you can and can’t do is a fantastic indicator of your current skill set and will help prepare you for more challenges along the way.
3. Art anxiety won’t last forever. Know that you will get better the more time you spend on your projects.
The more time you spend on your creative projects, the more accustomed you will be to producing the work you want while familiarizing yourself with the creative processes, both mentally and physically.
What you create in that moment is not the end all be all of your art. It’s just a step to improving your skills.
You will get better at your art! 🙂
Getting better at your art is inevitable if you keep practicing, keep a positive mindset, and are mindful and conscious of your areas of improvement.
4. Don’t let the fear of failing prevent you from starting or continuing a project.
I’ve struggled with this for years. Every time I thought about drawing, I would freak out about it. I’d get into my head and stress about the entire art process. I’d think about starting the project and when it was nighttime, I didn’t accomplish anything. This wasted my precious time because I didn’t know how to properly address that fear of starting.
Art anxiety can manifest before you start working on a project.
Instead, I re-framed my thinking. I approached projects in much smaller parts. I started setting aside 15 min a day to work on my art because it was enough time for me to work on a piece without feeling overwhelmed.
Sometimes when we work on a project, we start thinking about all the steps and tasks we need to do before we start. This is when art anxiety can start to creep in. At times, this is extremely dangerous to our productivity because we set ourselves up for a result that we don’t know if we can achieve. This places intense emphasis on an imagined final product rather than fully understanding our own unique process of creativity.
Methods for being creative are not a one-size fits all but rather an individual identity of how we express our artistic sides.
To make this easier on yourself, identify your creative process and try writing it down. What methods works best for you in order to complete a project? Are these methods physically or mentally draining for you? If they are, that’s completely fine. But if so, how can you down-size the task to make it more manageable for you? For example, you can set a small, easily achievable time limit for one part of your creative process. I like to give myself 15 minutes to think about what I’m going to draw before I start a new artwork because it’ll make my workflow more manageable for me down the line.
5. Know that you’re doing something for yourself and focusing on self-improvement.
You’re improving yourself and becoming better at things you’re not good at.
It takes a lot of courage to realize something may not be working for you or that you might have feelings of art anxiety. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge that some things aren’t going the way you want in your creative endeavors. If you do, it will ultimately save you valuable time and get you closer to a path that will lead you to success. Use these moments of self-reflection as an opportunity to better yourself and your understanding of who you are in a creative space.
So take some time to treat yourself and give yourself a pat on the back for stepping out of your comfort zone to become a better version of yourself. You deserve it!
6. Your art is a representation of you, but that representation doesn’t last forever.
Your art will keep changing throughout your artistic journey. Don’t worry about those 5 bad portraits of your dog or how you didn’t ace your art class.
Your ‘bad’ art will soon be in the past if you continue to improve your artistic skill set. Soon, you’ll be making art that you’re more proud of that fits you at your current level. So don’t sweat the small stuff, you will overcome it! Keep in mind that just because you don’t like your art does not mean that it’s terrible or someone else will absolutely not like it. Art and the creative process is subjective, meaning it’s up to the viewer to decide how they feel about it. And that’s something you can’t control. So feel free to let that thought float out into the wind and keep on your path.
Instead, know that you can control the amount of time and effort you put into your creative projects and that you’re skill set will keep changing and adapting to you until you feel it’s at the quality you want.
7. Technical & mental artistic progress is inevitable if you keep at it.
As long as you’re focused on your creative projects, you’ll keep getting better at your work.
When we’re more familiar with something, the better we get. Not only will motor skills like your hand-eye coordination and precision get better but the way you think about and creatively approach your art will skyrocket as well.
Who knows? You might discover a new art style, process, or awesome idea on the way.
8. The process is just as important as the end result.
Don’t get too caught up in the end result of your art and projects.
The steps you take to get to the end matter just as much as your final piece because it’s the decisions you make while creating your art that help you achieve the results you want.
Take time to appreciate the thought process and steps. It helps you realize the little things you do that make you unique creatively.
“Methods for being creative are not a one-size fits all but rather an individual identity of how we express our artistic sides.”
– Drawism
9. The more time you spend on your projects, the faster you’ll improve and reach your creative goals and overcome art anxiety.
You’ll keep improving on the skills you already have.
The sooner you keep practicing, the more fresh the skills in your mind are.
10. Don’t worry that you’re not achieving a huge following on social media. It’s okay to not be popular online or on social media.
Yes, it can be a huge help for your work. But it isn’t the only way to get noticed.
There are a lot of factors involved with your work being seen on social media. Social media is a lot different now than it was a few years ago. For starters, the algorithms on those sites are meant to keep you on those platforms for longer. Basically, you’ll need to give up a big chunk of your time to create substantial followings on those sites, which may or may not happen, depending on the quality and (even more so) popularity of your content.
Posting on social media constantly can be extremely toxic to your creative progress as well as your mental health. It’s a huge reason why art anxiety among artists has been increasing over the last few years. Not only that, social media sites require you to consistently post (usually on a daily basis). And not everyone has the time or resources to do that. I know I can’t keep up with it daily, which is why I stopped posting on social media a few years ago. And honestly, I’m so glad I did because it allowed me to focus more on myself and what I wanted to do with my art.
Social media engagement of your creative work is not a definitive nor completely accurate representation of your artistic work and abilities. So don’t take everything that happens on social media to heart. That’s not to say that it’s false when someone says they like your work because chances are they do.
I’ve worked with studios and a major company even though I only have 290 followers on Instagram, 26 on Twitter, & 73 on Tumblr. Oh yeah, and my Pinterest account was at 7 followers for the past 4 months before I reached my current grand total of, wait for it . . . . . 55, yup XD It can be disheartening knowing you have a small following but don’t let that stop you from achieving your artistic goals. You can achieve success and satisfaction without social media. So don’t worry that you’re not winning at Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. It’s normal, even for pros.
“Don’t be afraid to acknowledge that some things aren’t going the way you want in your creative endeavors. If you do, it will ultimately save you valuable time and get you closer to a path that will lead you to success.”
– Drawism
11. Prevent art anxiety by keeping a positive (or at least negative-free) mindset.
Staying positive while creating art is a huge aspect of being artistically confident. When we have a positive attitude towards our projects we’re more likely to engage with them and bring our best selves.
But when negative thoughts start to creep in, that’s when we start to lose confidence in ourselves. When this happens, our self-esteem is the first to be attacked. From there, we may get feelings of sadness, depression, and lack of motivation.
If you’re ever feeling this way, start associating your artistic projects and creativity with things that bring you joy. You’re more likely to have a favorable outcome if identify your habits with feelings of accomplishment, self-satisfaction, and happiness.
12. If you can, create things you enjoy.
This may seem pretty obvious. But it can be easily overlooked.
If you make things you enjoy, not only will it help you feel positive but you’ll feel more energized and motivated to continue with your projects. And the more you keep up with your creative passions, the more experience you will gain, helping you to become more confident in that particular activity.
13. Help get rid of art anxiety by making a ‘creative dump’.
When it comes to artistic activities that require hand-eye coordination (such as drawing, painting, or photography), take a minimum of 5 minutes to do that activity and just make a ‘whatever’ piece of art that you couldn’t care less about. This is a fantastic exercise because you don’t have to worry about the end result. You’re essentially exercising your creative muscles and warming them up for your more serious art and projects. Think of this exercise as if you’re dumping/taking out all the garbage (mistakes, un-coordination, so-so designs) that could potentially hinder the quality and creativity of your projects. Making a creative dump, either by drawing or getting my ideas on paper really helps me feel more confident in my art.
Art anxiety is just one of the many psychological obstacles that artists and creatives face. There are many more and they can be extremely intense both physically and mentally if not addressed. Some of these challenges include creative burnout and the mental effects of nft art theft and copyright protection.
Other Helpful Art Resources and Anxiety Relief for Artists:
- 10 Euphoric Art Therapy Prompts to Help Stop Racing Thoughts | Post
- 10 Expressive Art Therapy Activities to Try Now | Post
- 15 Anxiety Art Therapy Activities to Help You Feel Calm Now | Post
- Social Media Artist : 7 Ways to Stop Depression & Anxiety When Online | Post
- 9 Free Printable Art Therapy Activities for Anxiety Download | Freebie
- How to Start Drawing with No Art Experience | Post
- 10 Brutal Truths Before You Start Drawing, for Lasting Art Success | Post
- How to Get Back into Drawing After a Long Break | Post
- Free Printable Drawable Stress Relief Cheat Sheet | Freebie
- How to Draw the Sun in Any Shape & Brighten Your Day with 40 Sun Designs | Post
- 10 Easy Art Inspiration Ideas to Put You In a Better Mood | Post
With these tips and tricks, you’ll be able to tackle art anxiety easily!
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