How do you feel worthy as an artist when you’re not creating enough?

Let’s face it, as an artist, the pressure to create sometimes is very far away from the reality, sometimes this pressure can be immense.

Expectations are to always produce art that is groundbreaking, beautiful, balanced in all the possible ways and, above all, deeply meaningful for humankind.

 

But what happens when you’re not creating enough? Do you feel unworthy, untalented, or unimportant?

In my head I always here the same voice (testament of how I was raised!!) that says “you could be doing more, this isn’t enough.”

And I hate it, because it makes me see my life as something that isn’t there yet. With a feeling of scarcity.

And what is "enough"? What does it even mean when it's such a unmeasurable and personal quantity? 

 

Of course everybody could always be doing a little more, but instead of looking at a giant mountain of creativity to climb, I think we should look at the mountain in a different way.

 

Exploring different ideas like: creativity is a habit, that our work doesn't define our worth, but that our respect towards it can help us boost our sense of self.

In this blog post we will also consider what it means to live a creative life, how we can see creative opportunities in all our daily activities, and how we can cherish our brain and soul to never feel less then.

 

This is something I’ve learned first hand: creativity is a habit. It is something we develop over time, like any other skill. It takes practice, patience, and perseverance.

You cannot expect to be creative all the time, but you can train ourselves to be more creative.

Just like an athlete trains their body, an artist trains their mind.

In the same way muscles aren’t built over one session at the gym, creativity doesn’t happen just because, once, last year, a friend told you they had a creative idea. You need to show up for it!

 

Be intentional about setting aside time for your creativity, and then you need to be consistent in your efforts. Whether it's painting for 30 minutes every day (like I do for the month of February with my Art Challenge) or painting for an hour each week, you need to make creativity a part of you routine.

And when we show up for it, we cultivate a mindset that is open to new ideas, willing to take risks, and able to find solutions to creative problems.

 

This habit of creativity can help us feel worthy, even when we're not creating enough. We can take comfort in the fact that we are building our creative muscles, and that every small effort counts towards our growth as artists. The mountain :)

 

You work doesn't define your worth. As artists - even more so if you are on instagram and those numbers never seem to go up!! -, it's way too easy to get caught up in the idea that your art is a reflection of who we are. It’s not.

You may feel like your work is not good enough, or that you aren’t living up to your creative potential.

The truth is that our worth as human beings isn’t tied to our artistic output. The creations you put out there and who you are as a person are not the same thing.

Your art is a manifestation of your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, but it is not the totality of who you are as a human being.

We need to remind ourselves that we are more than our art, more than a number on our Instagram page, more than the last painting and more than the next one. And, at the end of the day, our worth is not contingent on our success as artists.

 

I think the key is finding respect towards your art and that can help you boost your sense of self. When you treat your art with care, attention, and dedication, you demonstrate (to yourself) that  you value yourself and all your beautiful creative potential.

You show yourself that you are worth investing in, that your ideas (yes, also the crazy ones) are worth pursuing, and that your voice matters.

 

When you take pride in your art, even if it's not perfect or complete, you affirm your worth as artists and as human being.

And if you do that, then it will be easier to be proud of the effort you have put into your art and work, and celebrate the small victories that come with the creative process.

 

At the end of the day, living a creative life means seeing creative opportunities in all our daily activities.

There’s no need to be creating art all the time to be living creatively. Inspiration is there to be found in the world around us, in nature, in books, in music, in conversations, in moments of solitude, and in moments of connection. By looking up at the sky.

By opening ourselves up to new experiences, we can feed our creative body and enrich our artistic brain and practice.

The moment you challenge yourself to see things from a different perspective, to ask questions, to experiment, and to play… is when you’ll feel a shift.

Let’s cultivate a sense of curiosity and wonder, and then let that guide you in your creative daily life.

 

And finally… Cherish your brain and soul, as they are essential to living a creative life. Take yourself on a date, just because you can. Take time for yourself. Meditate. Swim. Run. Lift. Pray. Whatever makes you feel great.

Your mind and heart are your most valuable tools. Make time for rest, for reflection, for self-care. Make time for them so your creativity can shine!