How to overcome self-doubt as a budding artist

I believe in sharing personal experiences, and today I am here with yet another topic close to my heart. So get ready to say, “Hey, that happens to me as well.”

This article is for you if you are from the creative field, more so if you are a beginner. Being able to help yourself is liberating. Especially if you don’t have people who can understand or relate to the details of your creative work. Many of the self-taught artists might not know people from their field of interest.

What made me get over self-doubt?

I have been a self-taught artist for two and a half years now. Most parts of it were spent doubting my capabilities.

At the beginning of 2021, I came across a YouTube video titled ‘Advice for people who feel their art isn’t unique ‘ by struthless.(Link at the end)

Thanks to the YouTube algorithm, I started getting many recommendations where artists from different fields shared their experiences.

So what is it that helped me?

I could relate to what the artists were saying. But relating and understanding the process of creating isn’t enough. Acting upon it is the key. Using the advice provided by other artists helped to improve my approach along with my work habits.

I am now getting comfortable with the whole process of learning art. Accepting my mistakes has become easier. My expectations are now realistic. I can devote the necessary time required for improvement without getting frustrated.

This brings us to the very reason why I am writing this blog post. So that you can learn from my mistakes. My experiences might help you to embrace the learning process, the daily struggle.

You are not alone to have these mixed feelings. Trust me!

Why does the artist in you need support?

Understanding how does the learning process works is essential to keep moving with your creative journey.

It took me two entire years to understand this simple connection. The struggle associated with learning is an integral part of creating anything.

The efforts which go behind doing something new take a substantial amount of time. So prepare yourself not to give up when the ride gets bumpy.

How to get over self-doubt as an artist?

Having doubt about one’s capabilities can be overwhelming for self-taught artists. Feeling that your art is not good enough can cripple your progress.

You will keep improving, but it requires you to keep practising and stay on your path. How to do this?

Simple! Make an effort to know the journey of other artists.

It never clicked to me to read about artists. I was wrong to feel that I am alone. I could see bits and pieces of my personal experience in stories shared by other artists. Now I don’t give up easily when I don’t see much improvement(or slow growth) in my work.

What about the learning curve in art?

With time, I developed a strong belief in the process.

Understanding the time and effort which goes into creating the foundation of art is equally important as learning the art itself.

I didn’t have a peer or a teacher. Tutorials over social media were my source of learning. I could not understand that the roadblocks I was facing were due to my limitations or part of the learning curve.

The frequent feeling “I am not meant to do this” can clip your wings.

My perception and beliefs changed when I read about the journey of other creatives. Most of them were not even from my field of interest. They were doing all kinds of different work. But their experiences were inspiring and relatable.

Learning about the experiences of other artists

I can’t emphasize this enough, especially if you are a self-taught artist like me.

Make yourself familiar with the process of what goes behind a finished piece of art. This can help you grow as an artist. It can improve the way you think and approach work.

Anything that belongs to the category -“behind the scenes “can help you get better. You can read about artists who share their journeys. It is a great way to learn about the creative process. You can also read books written by artists, listen to their podcasts, read articles, and watch videos.

If you are a beginner, you can consider paid or free workshops for learning about an art form. It will give you an overall experience that you don’t get from a YouTube tutorial. This also helps you find people who are at the same level of learning as you.

Summary :

It took me too long to figure out that learning anything new comes with its struggles, less for some, more for others. So the best you can do is to prepare yourself better. Learning from tutorials or pictures can help you discover your interests and successfully create art. But reading about the artists and listening to them will help you grow and evolve.

Once you accept the hard work, you will find yourself better prepared to pursue your interest.

So I hope this blog comes in handy whenever uncertainty clouds your mind. As always, in case you have any questions, please feel free to ask. You can write them in the comment section below.

Also, if you like the article, do show your support by sharing it.