Focusing on what’s lacking or what still needs improvement is a part of pretty much every kind of human pursuit, but what happens if that search for improvement becomes the driving factor? Whether it's for recognition, money or personal ambition, it's all too easy to end up lost in a hall of mirrors where you're always feeling inadequate or continually comparing your progress to everyone around you. Maybe you often find yourself thinking, “I could have done better,” or you compare your work to others and feel like you’re falling short. But the truth is that no matter where you are in your practice, you’re making progress and that progress, no matter how small, is worth celebrating.
Confidence doesn’t appear out of nowhere. It’s something that grows over time, nurtured by self-compassion and the way you treat yourself during the ups and downs of the creative process. One of the biggest gifts you can give yourself is learning to acknowledge your efforts and celebrate the small wins along the way. That’s how you build the kind of confidence that sustains your art in the long term.
In this chapter, we’ll explore how celebrating even the tiniest milestones, setting realistic expectations, and creating supportive creative routines can help you build confidence through compassion. These aren’t quick fixes but rather ways to slowly but steadily change how you approach your art and yourself.
Celebrate Small Wins
When you’re working on your art, it’s natural to look ahead and think about where you want to be. But focusing only on what’s next can make you forget how far you’ve already come. Whether it’s mastering a new technique, completing a project, or simply showing up to create, each step is a sign of progress.
Celebrating small wins helps shift your focus from what’s missing to what’s already there. These little moments of recognition reinforce that you’re moving forward, even on days when you feel stuck. They remind you that every part of the journey is valuable, not just the final destination.
Recognising these moments is a way of being kind to yourself - of offering yourself encouragement, rather than criticism. Over time, this builds your confidence by allowing you to see and appreciate the work you’re putting in, bit by bit.
Setting Realistic Expectations
One of the reasons self-judgment can feel so heavy is because it often stems from unrealistic expectations. Maybe you expect to create a masterpiece every time you pick up a brush or sculptor’s tool, or perhaps you think you should already be further along in your creative journey. But these high expectations can set you up for disappointment, making it harder to feel proud of your progress.
By setting realistic, achievable goals, you can start to build confidence based on what you can realistically accomplish, not on impossible standards. Realistic goals honour where you are in your practice. They’re not about lowering your standards, but about recognising the pace and stage of your development. When you create a goal that feels within reach, you’re more likely to meet it and feel good about your progress, which builds momentum and confidence over time.
Creating a Positive Creative Routine
Confidence also comes from creating habits that nurture and support your creative process. A positive creative routine is like a gentle structure that helps you consistently show up, whether you feel inspired or not. The key to a good routine is to keep it simple and sustainable. Make it something that fits into your life without adding more pressure.
Your routine might include small rituals that help you enter a creative mindset, like lighting a candle, playing music, or even setting a specific time of day to work. These little rituals can signal to your brain that it’s time to focus on your art, making it easier to get started.
The goal isn’t to create a rigid schedule but to establish a rhythm that supports your practice. By making time for your art in a way that feels manageable and enjoyable, you’re nurturing a sense of consistency and confidence in your ability to create.
Practical Exercises and Tips to Help Build Confidence
1. Celebrate Small Wins: The "Victory List"
Create a "Victory List" where you write down every small win in your creative practice. It can be as simple as trying a new technique, finishing a sketch, or even just showing up to work on a project.
How it Helps: Seeing your accomplishments in writing reminds you that progress is happening, even when it feels slow. Over time, this list becomes a visual representation of your growth and builds confidence in your abilities.
Tip: Set a reminder to update your list regularly. Try adding one or two things after each session in your studio.
2. Setting Realistic Expectations: The "SMART Goals" Exercise
Set one or two small, manageable goals for your creative practice each week using the "SMART" framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).
Specific: Make sure your goal is clear (e.g., "I’ll finish this part of a painting", rather than "I’ll be more creative").
Measurable: Decide how you’ll know when you’ve achieved it (e.g., "I’ll spend one hour a day drawing").
Achievable: Set a goal that feels possible, given your time and resources.
Relevant: Make sure your goal aligns with your current creative direction.
Time-bound: Give yourself a deadline (e.g., "I’ll complete this by Friday").
How it Helps: Achieving realistic goals helps you build confidence in your ability to follow through. It breaks down big dreams into manageable steps, making success feel more attainable.
Goals: Celebrate each time you meet a goal, no matter how small it seems. This acknowledgment reinforces your progress and motivates you to keep going.
3. Creating a Positive Creative Routine: The "5-Minute Start"
If you're struggling even to get started, try to commit to spending just five minutes a day on your art - pick up a pencil and doodle something, come up with a design for something you'd like to go on to paint, squeeze out a bit of just one or two colours and splat some onto a canvas.. maybe when you come back tomorrow you'll see something in the shapes that you can build on, or maybe splat some more colour over it! Often, the hardest part is getting started, so this small, low-pressure commitment can help you build momentum.
How it Helps: Even if you’re not feeling particularly inspired, showing up for just five minutes keeps your creative muscles active. Often, you’ll find that once you’ve started, you want to keep going, but even if you don’t, you’ve still honoured your commitment to yourself.
Practical Tip: Create a mini ritual around your creative time. Light a candle, put on a favourite playlist, or make a cup of tea before you start. These small actions create a welcoming environment that encourages you to show up for your art. It will also start to condition your brain to expect a artistic session and make it easier to get into a creative mindset.
4. Ritual for Confidence: “Affirmation Art”
Choose an affirmation related to your creative practice, such as "I am growing every day" or "My art is a reflection of my unique vision". Write or incorporate this affirmation into a small piece of art each week.
How it Helps: By integrating positive affirmations into your creative work, you reinforce a mindset of self-compassion and confidence. It also allows you to combine reflection with creation in a meaningful way.
Tip: Display your affirmation artwork where you can see it regularly, as a reminder to be kind to yourself.
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