Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Believe You Can and You’re Halfway there” and I dare you to show me something truer. And nothing; absolutely nothing beats self-confidence, especially as a creative.

I have been opportune to speak with several beginner creatives, and more than half the time, the issue lies in the confidence—or lack of—of the creative in question. 

I personally lacked the confidence to put myself out there when I began my journey as a creator. Fear was my constant companion, wining and dining on me.

It wasn’t until I started to believe in myself, showed up for myself, and trusted in my abilities to create something extraordinary that I began to enjoy the process, pitch myself without fear, take on interviews like a pro, and consistently show up with value.

And that’s not to say there wasn’t a little stumbling in between, but here I am regardless. Now, how exactly I was able to gradually build my confidence, in addition to how some of the Thrivers of the Thriving Creatives Community have been able to build confidence in our craft is exactly what this blog post covers.

Let’s start with the why.

Reasons We Lack Confidence as Creatives

Firstly, let me state that confidence is not something that naturally comes with everyone. For some of us, we seem to always be confident, always ready to take on the world, ready to try again, no matter what we encounter. 

For some of us, it’s quite the opposite. We need to build the confidence we need, experience by experience, mistake by mistake.

But not to worry. Let’s discuss the reasons behind our lack of confidence as it’s the first step to overcoming it and gaining confidence as creatives. Here are the top four reasons:

• Self doubt 
• Self-underestimation
• Validation 
• Fear

Self doubt 

This is a huge, huge hindrance to maximizing your full potential as a creative. And I want you to know, firstly, that if every creative you look up to had given in to self doubt, then you’d probably have nothing to look up to. 

Self doubt holds your creativity down. Never forget that whenever it tries to creep in. Because when you doubt yourself, doubt your ability to create something extraordinary, doubt your entire line of work, and when you let that doubt take a solid hold of you, you won’t be able to create with ease.

And when you do create, you’ll continue to ask yourself if it’s good enough, and maybe eventually, you’ll end up not publishing your content.

Self-underestimation

So sometimes I speak with creatives and the first thing I say when they’re done speaking is “have you seen what you create? Like have you taken a moment to bask in the wonders you create?” Because I believe if some of us have, we won’t think so low of ourselves. 

This one can easily be the gist reason why as creatives, we lack self confidence. We just don’t trust ourselves to create something truly wonderful. We have built the mindset over time and everytime we try to create, or publish, that thought sits right at the front of our minds. 

While there are a lot of factors that can contribute to self underestimation, I don’t want us to dwell there. I just want us to know that self-underestimation is something you should never let control you or your ability to create. 

It is a skewed perception of yourself and that means that it fails to accurately reflect your true capabilities and worth. Okay? Okay. 

Validation 

Some of us creatives feel the need sometimes to “prove our worth.” We want to show people that we can actually do it, that we’re not frauds, that we too are capable of doing what we say we do well.

And because of that, if we somehow fall short of our expectations, or of what we feel is people’s expectations of us, we end up losing even more confidence in our art. And it shouldn’t be so.

If you’re reading this, I just want you to know that you should be the only “definer” of your worth. Never hang the worth of your work on people’s words. Let your mindset be tailored to the fact that you in yourself are magic, and so everything you create is magic. 

Fear

Yes, the bastid fear in all its glory is of course a reason behind the lack of confidence of several creatives. From the fear of failure to the fear of it not being good enough, to the fear of rejection, and the list just goes on. Fear is a huge cause of lack of confidence. And in fact, everything we’ve talked about in this section can somehow be tied to fear.

However, to what level will you let fear dine on you, o ye creative? Fear doesn’t have to be the one calling the shots. It is a feeling, and you should not give it that much power over you. Of course, it’s there, lurking in the background, but it doesn’t have to dictate your every move. 

You! Yes, you have the power to push back against fear, to challenge its hold on you. Because just in case you didn’t know: fear thrives on uncertainty. It feeds off our doubts and insecurities, convincing us that we’re not good enough, that our work will never measure up. But we can’t let fear control us. We have to stand up to it, to face it head-on. 

And you know what else? It’s okay to be afraid. We’re all afraid sometimes. But it’s what we do in the face of that fear that matters. Do we let it paralyze us, or do we push through it, knowing that on the other side lies growth and possibility? You answer that.

Now that we’ve explored these causes, let’s dive into the Tried-and-Trusted ways to gain the self confidence you need.

5 Ways To Gain Confidence as a Creative

These are five sure steps you need to start practicing to build your self confidence as a creative today. Let’s get right into it:

• Never Forget Your WHY
• Acknowledge Your Self Confidence 
• Practice Self Compassion
• Stop Comparison
• Continue to Build and Invest in Yourself

Never Forget Your WHY

I can tie this particular strategy to about three or four of the reasons why we lack self confidence in ourselves as creatives. And I’ll explain it.

Most times, when I talk to creatives and they express how tired they are, how they don’t know if they even have the zeal or sometimes the confidence to go on, how people are getting seen on social media more than them, I ask them one thing: Why did you start?

Why did you start being a writer? A social media manager? A content creator? A web developer? A community manager?… Why? Did you start because you wanted to grow a community? Because you needed to express yourself? Because you needed the validation? 

I beg you to never lose sight of your why. No matter how hard it gets. Because trust me, it gets hard. And when it does get hard, your why is what keeps you going. 

I hated interviews so much at some point in my life that I asked myself if it was worth it and that maybe I should just go back to doing other things. But when I thought of my why, I knew that it wasn’t the time to stop.

My WHY was bigger than any hiring agency. Now? I love interviews, in fact. With constant practice, I’ve been able to build that well needed confidence, and it started with never losing sight of the reason I started.

Acknowledge Your Self-Doubt

We’ve already talked about how acknowledgement is always the first step to overcoming something. That works here too. Fear and self doubt are one of the biggest causes of lack of self confidence. And to overcome it, you have to accept that it’s there, and know why that is.

Doing this allows you to confront your self-doubt head-on, rather than allowing it to fester and grow unchecked. When you acknowledge your self-doubt, you’re also acknowledging your own humanity.

Because, believe me, it’s natural to experience self-doubt from time to time, to experience imposter syndrome, especially when pursuing creative endeavors that require vulnerability and risk-taking. 

It shows that you’re indeed growing, so instead of viewing self-doubt as a sign of weakness, see it as a normal part of the creative process—a signal that you’re stepping outside of your comfort zone and pushing yourself to grow.

Finally, once you’ve identified the specific doubts and insecurities that are holding you back, you can need to examine them more critically.

Ask yourself: Are these doubts based on facts or assumptions? Are they grounded in reality, or are they distorted by fear and uncertainty? Are they caused by anyone in particular, triggered by any occurrence?

When you do this, you can start to unravel the grip of self doubt on your confidence and replace it with more rational and empowering beliefs.

Practice Self Compassion

I need us creatives to know that self sabotage does more harm than good! I need us to know that lack of compassion to ourselves is not what we need! Ask yourself for a minute, do you think it’s easy, being a creative? Expressing yourself, sharing your content, being vulnerable for the whole world to see? It isn’t. It is not! Never let anyone downplay how powerful it is, not even yourself!

And trust me when I say you will have bad days. It’s normal. You will have days when you wake up and do not feel like creating. But on those days, please take it easy on yourself. It’s aa process and you need to trust it. You need to love and be there for yourself on the good days, and the bad.

One thing that will help you build self confidence as a creative is to hold your own hands, love yourself, believe in yourself, embrace your imperfections because they’re a part of what makes you, you. 

Stop Comparison Completely 

Yes, you and I knew you’d see this here. And why? It is very true. To build your self-confidence as a creative, you need to totally remove comparison from your life. 

When you constantly compare yourself to others, you’re setting yourself up for feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness, you’re dwindling your own potential. 

One of the first steps in stopping comparison is recognizing that it’s a natural human tendency, but it’s also incredibly destructive. Instead of focusing on what others are doing and how they’re succeeding, shift your focus inward. Reflect on your own journey, your own progress, and your own unique strengths and talents. What makes you unique. 

Another helpful strategy is to limit your exposure to comparison triggers. This might mean unfollowing certain accounts on social media, setting boundaries with friends or colleagues who tend to trigger feelings of comparison, or even taking breaks from social media altogether. Remember, you have the power to curate your own environment and surround yourself with influences that lift you up rather than drag you down.

Finally, practice gratitude for your own accomplishments and successes, no matter how small they may seem. Celebrate your wins, no matter how insignificant they may seem compared to others’. 

Continue to Build and Invest in Yourself

Finally, I need you to know that it is very crucial to continue to build yourself. This worked so well for me because I had a lot of self doubt in me. But when I started to invest in myself, take more courses, attend more classes, practice what I learnt, I started to believe more and more in myself.

To begin, identify areas where you want to improve or learn more deeply within your creative field. This might involve taking courses or workshops, attending conferences or networking events, or seeking out mentorship from more experienced creatives. (This is something you’ll find in the Thriving Creatives Community.)

By actively pursuing opportunities for learning and skill-building, you not only enhance your abilities but also boost your confidence in your own expertise and competence.

Additionally, don’t underestimate the power of practice. Set aside time for creative exploration and experimentation, allowing yourself the freedom to try and practice what you’ve learnt without fear of judgment or failure.

Let Self Care be A Part of Your Life 

I know we promised 5, but take this one. Make sure to prioritize self-care and well-being as you proceed with your creative journey. And before you ask, yes. This helps your creative process and your journey to building self confidence. 

As you create, as you learn, as you practice, take care of your physical, mental, and emotional health by prioritizing rest, relaxation, and activities that nourish your soul. Remember that your creativity flourishes in environments where you feel balanced, energized, and inspired, so make self-care a non-negotiable part of your routine.

Lastly, don’t forget to celebrate your progress and accomplishments along the way. Acknowledge the milestones you’ve reached and the strides you’ve made in your creative journey, no matter how small they may seem. By recognizing and celebrating your achievements, you reinforce a positive self-image and cultivate that sense of pride and confidence in your abilities.

Conclusion

We’ve said more than enough. I just wanted to add this: You have the power to change your story. You hold that power in your hands. And confidence is something that will ignite that power. Don’t lose it. Try not to. Work hard so you don’t lose it. 

Accept you for you. Love every part of you. Believe in you.Trust in yourself to do exploits. Be your biggest advocate. And never stop going for what you want.

Need a community of creatives to cheer you on every step of the way? Join the Thriving Creatives Community today by filling this form.