How to overcome self doubt when trying something new
I want to celebrate all things sunny and cheery as life here has been filled with plenty of chilly weather. Winter has made its mark! Bringing a great deal of rain along with it.
But, this chilly weather has also brought me time for reflection, creativity, adventure and cosy nights.
Isn’t it funny how an experience always has two sides to it. And ultimately we are the ones who decide which way we see or experience an event.
Recently, I embarked on learning a new way to paint with watercolours. It has been a mind bender of sorts and has really challenged the way I look at and work with watercolour. I’ve felt lost, uncomfortable and stretched to the point where nothing makes sense when I paint.
And to tell you the truth I couldn’t really see any progress being made.
But, something happened the other day. I paused long enough to catch myself mourning the loss of time and material and all the guilty feelings I was imposing on myself.
At that moment I chose to make a 360 turn and began to really look at my painting. Firstly, I looked and noted all the good things I could see in the painting and then I started reflecting about the mistakes I saw in it (without giving space for the judgemental mind to flourish).
What went wrong?
What could I do next time round?
I took plenty of notes to problem solve for the future!
This small mindset change made such a big difference because next time I painted, the experience was much more fruitful and definitely more enjoyable.
This is all part of the creative process, whether you are a master at what you do or you are beginning something new, there will always be something to improve upon, always new things to learn and many more to try.
If you’re not happy with your artwork, ask yourself what needs fixing and how you can go about changing or improving it and keep practicing your art.
Thanks for your time. Stay safe and creative.
Till next time.
