by Kayleigh Roberts and Christine Harris
Artists often love all of their ideas and creations, but are challenged with selecting specific projects on which to focus their time. No one can do everything. One of the most important elements of the artistic process is letting go of ideas and passionately moving forward, focusing attention on priority projects. Otherwise the studio becomes cluttered with old works, half-started, unfinished projects, and the artist becomes too stifled to move, much less do the work.
Confidence is a building process.
Confidence is a learning process.
Confidence is a growing process.
To achieve any of these, one must let go of old thoughts, habits, patterns, and behaviours that no longer serve their greatest good. This opens up a healthy space for self-discovery.
Ask yourself what qualities do you value? What do you want? Some seek: freedom, creativity, friendship, honesty, fairness, balance, work ethic, acceptance, inclusion, knowledge, power, happiness, spirituality, success, responsibility, adventure, family, diversity, collaboration, accountability, autonomy, authority, relationships, or other aspects of life.
Seek balance. If your core values are stability, security, adventure, and freedom, you may run into conflicts of competing values. It’s important to discover what these values mean to you. Where are the boundaries between your beliefs?
Forests build up with dead trees and leaves. Competing vegetation chokes out new growth. A natural cycle of forest fires clears the area while leaving established trees. The fire transforms unhealthy, dead, and diseased trees into nutrients. This natural removal of obstacles within the forest creates a healthy space for life to return. The fire spreads seeds, returns nutrients to the soil, and opens up space for new growth, and a healthy forest rebuilds. The space created by the destruction lets more sunlight into the trees, allowing wildlife to return and flourish.
Build confidence by embracing core values. Think of core values as your established, healthy trees. You build them up. They build you up. You grow with core values. Core values are meaningful parts of yourself, deserving of your protection.
Grow from challenges. In order to advance, one must practice. Progress is not linear. Climbers will tell you it’s one step forward, two steps back, yet still, they continue to climb and reach the peak. When faced with challenges, frustrations arise. Get curious. Why are you being presented with this challenge? What can you learn? Brainstorm alternate ways to approach issues. When stuck, consult experts for advice. Take pride in the process of learning.
Soak in what you learn, allowing wisdom to nourish you. Ask yourself, what worked? What did not work for you? Learn from mistakes. Allow yourself time to heal and soak in lessons about who you are and how you can better interact with the world around you. Treat others with compassion instead of as if they were obstacles. Accept that everyone is going through their own struggles. In order to be present with them, you must listen to your body, feelings, and values, and show up for yourself. Show up with compassion.
You cannot be everywhere, but you can be here now. Sit. Find your practice. Maybe it’s yoga, tai chi, meditation or a mindfulness practice that helps you stay grounded. Your practice might be MMA, karate, or dance. What makes you feel connected? What exercises keep you engaged? What activities help you listen and pay attention?
Create yourself. In order to get what you want to see in your world, you must curate your itinerary. Find out who you want to be. Do not concern yourself with who you think others want you to be.
Own it. Be true to what you want and true to who you are right now. Rather than trying to mask insecurities, say how you feel. There is power in vulnerability. There is power in knowing who you are: strengths, weaknesses, core values, temperament, faults, and all. To avoid working against yourself, you must work within the knowledge of who you are. Accept yourself.
Express yourself. Stop hiding who you are. Embrace who you are, how you feel, what you like, what you want in life. It’s your life, nobody else’s. Instead of trying to impress others, try to impress yourself. What do you value?
Explore and dream. Read books with courageous characters. Get inspiration from people who exhibit your values. Look at stories or make up your own. The library is full of inspiring real and imagined characters. See what you might learn from role models and mentors.
Build Your Strength.
Focus on something outside of yourself. Take time to listen to crashing waves or a stream. Watch a campfire or candle flame.
Observe the way you speak to yourself. Is this how you would address a dear friend? Allow yourself the space to let go of limiting beliefs that hold you back from experiencing your true self. Feel the weight in your body from carrying negative self-talk. And begin using your breathing practices which will allow that weight to disappear.
Imagine letting go of negative self-talk. Feed your insecurities into the fire and watch them burn, ash, and flitter away from you. Release limiting beliefs into a stream, and watch them float away. Feel the lightness in your body, and thank yourself for releasing what held you back from growth.
Envision what you do want. Say what you value about yourself. Speak to the elements you want to bring into your life.
