If one lacks confidence in their art, whatever medium it may be, it might reflect an area the artist doesn't feel they are excelling in.
Competence is defined by the Merriam Dictionary as "the ability to do something well".
Hardly an exciting definition. However, the link between competence and confidence intrigues me.
And perhaps it is because the answer to increasing in competence (and therefore confidence) is strangely simple. Not easy, but simple.
The artist must practice.
Practice is not glamorous and the process can be exhausting on some days, exhilarating on others. It's hard to know which day will produce joy or frustration. The artist can only show up.
Know this for certain: continual practice is the surest way to competence, growth and confidence.
Little by little practice works its magic, like a flower whose seed is planted. Growth occurs almost imperceptibly.
Then one day the bloom unfolds, pink, lush, beautiful. Its beauty once hidden is now evident for all to see.
One more gem regarding practice and the idea connecting competence to confidence.
Not only does practice make one competent and increased competence almost always increases confidence, one additional characteristic blooms:
creativity.
The more we learn, the more we are able to stretch and bend and grow and become more and more creative in our thinking, our abilities, our art.
These are good reasons to show up to practice tomorrow. I want to be more creative, to see solutions and new ways of doing things, to blend colors on the watercolor paper and have them turn out the way my mind wants them to.
I'm working on a few projects that are challenging me right now- figure sketches for illustrations and marketing & sales challenges- but I know the discomfort is the growth process. Life is a process; we never arrive, the adventure keeps on going. There are new things to learn.
Any projects that are challenging your sense of confidence this week? Feeling confident in a new area of growth?
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