Courage

Why is my heart dialed to scaredy cat vs roaring lion? Being an artist is a vulnerable business. It means putting a piece of your soul and perspective into a medium and then creating something outside of you for all to see. This takes courage!

I’ve been submitting my work to art shows. When a piece is accepted, I’m on cloud 9; when they aren’t chosen, it’s hard to stop the negative self talk in my head. I was recently reading a post on anxiety by the singer, Leanna Crawford, she reminded those reading that anxiety is often fueled by negative self talk. So how can we change inner negativity?

Focusing on truth is so important. Leanna’s song Still Waters says, “anxiety hates Psalm 23.” Filling my mind with who God says I am strengthens my spirit. He says I am “fearfully and wonderfully made” Psalm 139:14, and He’s accomplishing His purposes through me, Phil 1:6.

It helps to remember to recognize the inner negativity or lies, “Oh, yeah, there it comes again” type of recognition. Another strategy I’ve learned is to turn the voice into an animated version. My favorite is the Tasmanian Devil. His voice makes me chuckle and not take the negativity so seriously.

Unfortunately turning off the negative voice doesn’t really work. It’s like trying to not think about an elephant and all you can see in your head is an elephant! Turning down the volume on the voice or not taking it so seriously has worked for me. I also practice appreciation of the art around me that I’m so grateful someone had courage enough to complete- the car I drive, the song lifting me up, the book making me laugh…

Surrounding ourselves with encouraging people helps too. Cheerleaders who root for us are important. I have family and friends who enjoy my art. When they look around my studio, their words of praise bolster my courage to create again.

Trying new things is courageous. I recently took an art class on collage and found myself nervous to experiment with a new art form. Results become too important to me. The process of creating is also valuable, so even if the finished product isn’t what I’d like it to be, the time spent being creative was time we’ll spent. I can typically turn off my over active brain while doing art and that in itself is a gift.

It’s helpful to remember that not everyone appreciates every art form. We are all so different, and simply like a variety of things. So if what I create isn’t someone’s cup of tea, that’s ok.

Also, it takes being creative to grow as an artist. I can see progress when I look at my earlier artwork. Lies are insidious and not helpful- like “you will never get it”, or “you can’t do it.”But when I look backwards, I see that I am growing as an artist.

Some people seem to have an extra sprinkling of talent, but all of us can work to hone our skills. Working at something means we will progress in our capabilities. So I might not be able to paint _____ yet, but if I practice I’ll get better at it. No one is a master at something they’ve just begun to learn. That’s such a simple truth, yet time and again I expect myself to do something well the first time I try 🤦‍♀️ Perfectionism is a cruel master.

For example we are learning portraits in my painting class. My first pass at capturing Frieda Kahlo doesn’t look like her except for the unibrow. It does look like a woman- kinda, albeit an angry one. It’s tempting to give up and just go back to landscapes. Maybe portraits won’t be my thing, but they might be… if I keep practicing.

That’s the voice I want in my head- “keep going”, “you can do this”, “it’s worth trying”. Thankfully I’m a part of a wonderful art community. I was so nervous to have my first table at one of our events selling my greeting cards, but everyone was so encouraging.

Let’s remember when someone is doing something hard or being vulnerable, we have an opportunity to be their cheerleader. Maybe next time they need it, they will hear our voice in their head rooting them on. In this way, we can share the joy and bolster courage.