Criticism as an Artist and Overcoming your Fear of Failure
Artists, criticism and failure
Perhaps it’s the stigma that has always been attached to being an artist – you’re going to struggle – that has somehow left this constant feeling of fear, expectation for failure and always feeling like you’re climbing a mountain in order to feel like you’re making progress. Today’s post is a really important one?that we all struggle with and that’s how to handle criticism as an artist and overcome your fear of failure.
Even when things are going well and we’re on an ‘up’, we’ve been taught to expect the ‘down’, because we’re destined to be the starving artist, right?
And who knows, maybe this is no longer the case with very young artists starting out today because the opportunities to succeed have been around long enough for them to have learned differently, but for my generation art was never meant to provide for us. It was always meant to be a hobby.
All that to say, I squashed that notion by doing two things – overcoming fear of being judged or criticized and throwing away the mentality that I will always struggle.
I truly believe that whatever energy I put towards something, that is the exact energy that I will receive back. And so, if I will always believe that I’ll never make a living selling art well then, I won’t.
Here is how I broke this habit and began to succeed as an artist.
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How to Handle Criticism as an Artist and Overcome your Fear of Failure
Throw away any notions of perfect art.
We’ve all done this. The never finished piece. Chasing that perfect piece of art, without a stroke or line out of place, scrutinizing every splash of paint and reworking something tirelessly until it’s “perfect”. No matter what, there will always be someone who will appreciate your piece just as it is.
It’s important to also value your time and how much you’re putting towards a piece so that you can quantify your time and focus on all the other things that need your attention.
Stop comparing yourself to other artists.
No doubt this is the worst thing you can do from this list when it comes to finding joy and success. Comparing yourself to other artists is a useless and unhealthy habit that won’t help you grow. What it will do is lead you into a very unproductive and unfulfilling place. It’s temping with all the visual content we are exposed to each day to not look at and appreciate all the other artist’ work out there, or their big following and sold out collections, but it just leads to more doubt and fear.
Every artist is at a different phase of their artist life. You might be seeing the work of an artist who has been creating art for decades and you’ve only been drawing for a couple years. It’s not fair to compare yourself like that and sever any chance at growing because you’ve set yourself back.
Do it for yourself.
While we all sometimes get consumed by the drive to be successful and to make a career out of our creative talents, don’t let yourself forget why you started in the first place. As your business grows you’ll no doubt come across other artists that will tell you that you need to adapt and create to sell.
But eventually this will drain you of all your creative ideas.
While it’s important to find a balance between what you love and what sells, potential customers will be drawn to pieces that you loved creating. It’s that simple.
Sometimes commissions can lead to feeling disconnected from your art. As you take on commissions, be mindful of how they make you feel and whether they’re an expression of you. Often if your commissions are very restrictive you might start to resent your work, so take commissions on slowly and limit them to the amount that you’re comfortable with.
Focus on the process.
This is a really important one, largely because it’s one of the best ways to also prevent imposters syndrome or at least, minimize it. When we’re rushing to finish something, to post it, share it, sell it, etc.. we become disconnected from the piece itself and then begin to question ourselves and whether we’re doing something for the right reasons.
Instead of focusing on external validation or comparing your work to others, focus on the creative process and the joy of creating. Remember that art is subjective, and everyone has their own unique style and vision.
Try to reframe your mindset to focus on your strengths and accomplishments. Remind yourself of the skills and experiences that have brought you to where you are today. This is a powerful reframe of mindset. Regardless of whatever you might feel insecure about in that moment, the feeling does not diminish the tangible quality of what you have built and learnt up to this point. That has value. Don’t confuse doubt with failure.
And what if we fail? Failure is a natural part of the learning process. Instead of seeing failure as a reflection of your abilities, view it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Use this feeling to challenge your inner critic. When negative thoughts start to creep in, challenge them with evidence. Write down your accomplishments, positive feedback you’ve received, and any other evidence that shows you are not an imposter. Proactively seek out opportunities to learn and develop new skills. Taking action can help build confidence and reinforce positive feelings of self-worth. You can also take this opportunity to ask for help. Be okay with knowing that you don’t need to be an expert in everything. Often, an entrepreneur is someone who knows enough about a lot of things, and knows where to reach for expertise and help when they need it. That is so powerful!
Opinions are not facts.
The truth is, we can’t please everyone.
Especially with art. You’ll come across negative comments, judgement, criticism for many reasons – but the reasons don’t really matter. What matters is how to respond, or rather don’t respond.
Not everyone will like your art, or appreciate your newsletter or your content in general. And that’s ok. The better you become at sifting through the noise – the non fans – the faster you’ll reach your community, the ones that want to engage with you and follow your journey.
Art is personal and that’s a good thing. But with that comes a difficult lesson that will first hurt before you learn to let it go.
I must confess though, in the four years that I’ve been sharing my art with the world I’ve yet to receive a negative comment. I think in general if you share content that is authentic and true to who you are, you’ll surround yourself with positivity and encouragement.
Be mindful of your thoughts.
We’re our worst critics…
And while being hard on ourselves can lead to greatness, it’s not healthy to be driven by self-doubt. Stop judging and criticizing your own artwork. When we are aware of our thoughts, it becomes easier to see that not all of them are true.
And you certainly don’t have to listen to them. They’re thoughts, not facts.
Instead, listen to your heart or your gut – they’re rarely wrong. Open yourself up to sharing honestly and the love with follow!
Be patient.
This is a long game, friends!
By that I mean, very few artists make it overnight. And we’re now constantly being berated with social media content where you see creators sharing how they made tens of thousands in their first month of (insert anything here!) and how you can too, but it’s not reality. Becoming a successful professional artist takes a lot of work and time, in a multitude of directions before things start to fall into place.
I whole-heartedly believe that if you work hard enough and with enough determination, anything is possible.
I’ve also experienced big failures. Failures that were significant enough that I wanted to just pack it all in and quit. But my determination (some call it stubbornness) wouldn’t let me. And I know that that willpower is why I’ll spend the rest of my working days growing my creative business.
Think of it this way – I will work really hard now to experience freedom down the road and when I’ll need it most. Overcoming fear of being judged or criticized and throwing away the mentality of a constant forever struggle will hinder your creative abilities.
Use logic over fear. Stay rooted in the belief that each piece your create is improving yours or someone else’s life. Creating art is first and foremost for you to enjoy and share. Create beauty and the rest will follow.
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Hope this was useful! Much love!
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Thanks for reading!
Donata
How to Handle Criticism as an Artist and Overcome your Fear of Failure