Building Creative Confidence
A younger, less confident Jess filming stuff at UCLA's Summer Film Production Program in 2018.
Creativity Isn’t Easy
In the world of AI, it might feel like creativity is as easy as a few clicks and “voila!” But creatives know that isn’t the case. Creativity isn’t just hard work, it’s HEART work. It takes a lot of courage to be creative (which is one of the reasons that AI falls short and can feel like a bit of a cop-out: if the creation is crap you can just blame the robot who built it!) Real, raw creativity requires you to put yourself out on the line, and as I once heard an artist put it, it’s like “peeling your skin off” to expose the most vulnerable parts of you.
The Courage to Start
So, how do you tap into your inner courage to create? Just like anything, the more you do it, the less scary it becomes. You’ll often realize that, for the most part, when you’re starting out, no one really cares about what you create or even notices it. As you get better and start creating more, some people will love it, some people won’t. People will like what they’re going to like, so it still isn’t worth getting too worked up about.
We are so afraid of imaginary tigers lurking in the shadows of our minds, when in reality, nothing is going to eat you if you decide to create the thing you want to make. Yes, it might be a bit embarrassing sometimes, but even if it is accidentally cringy, people will most likely just look away or quickly scroll to the next thing and completely forget about it.
The REAL things to fear are regret, being invisible, and leaving nothing behind when you go: making it like you didn’t even exist at all. THAT is WAY scarier.
Confidence Needs Evidence
Courage is just the starting point. Next comes consistency, which then can grow into confidence. Because true confidence requires evidence. Unfortunately, when you are in the moment, fears often get in the way of creation. Our minds are wired to protect us, and we start remembering all of the ways we were embarrassed in the past, or we failed. How do we fight and slay those negative thought demons? By being ready with your highlight reel of awesomeness!
Make Your Mental Montage
Think about the coolest movie montages you’ve ever seen, where the hero is training or prepping for the battle with some sweet pump-up music. What would your movie montage look like? What are all of the times when you tried something hard and it turned out to be awesome? What are the challenges you have conquered? The tough things you survived? What are the things you’ve created that you’re proud of? Make a list and then play them out in your mind when the fears show up and try to stop you from creating.
My montage includes some big things, like making the music video for “Amazing Grace” for my hubby’s Bagpipe Master YouTube channel. Hiking to the top of King’s Peak. Getting my MBA last year and traveling to Southeast Asia (overcoming my fears of international travel.) Naturally birthing four babies without pain medication (my version of a marathon/pushing my body to the limit.)
It also includes some random small things, like deciding to make caring for myself a priority by going to the gym consistently. Trying out candlemaking just for fun. Singing solos in church. Making a vase for my mom in my seventh-grade ceramics class… You get the idea.
Take some time to make your own mental montage, so when the fears come knocking, you can drown them out with the evidence that you ARE strong, brave, and creative.
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P.S. What questions do you have, or topics should I focus on next? Let me know in the comments!
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