What if I'll never be good enough?
In my last post I asked you to write a list of some of the things you think about your art practice and the things that are holding you back from making art you love. Did you journal your "if only's" yesterday?
Maybe you don't have "if only's," maybe your list looks more like "when's."
When painting stops feeling so hard...
When I make fewer mistakes...
When my painting matches the image in my head...
When I create a perfect painting...
When I sell a painting for more than $100...
When I can make a living from my art...
When I win an award...
When I can afford better art supplies...
Whether you're an "if only" artist or a "whenner," you've chosen a future-oriented mindset that isn't letting you feel good about the art you're making TODAY. A future-oriented mindset doesn't give you permission to love what you're making today. It pushes you to set expectations that limit how much fulfillment you can find in the process. Making art stops being the deeply satisfying adventure it was when you started.
I am watchful for the "if only's" and "when's" that creep into my thinking, especially when I start feeling frustrated or discouraged in my creative practice. They tend to sneak in under the radar!
A better way to start a sentence...
What if...actually, yes, let's spend some time asking what if...
What if...I have everything I need to make the art I'm meant to make today; art that will help me move closer to making truly authentic, inspired work that I can be unashamedly proud of?
What if...my mistakes are teaching me more than my successes ever could?
What if...the things I think are obstacles can be looked at in a new way and turned into my superpower?
What if...I don't have to paint that thing I'm struggling with and I can move in a totally different direction?
What if...there is something really beautiful about the ugliest parts of my painting and I just need to learn how to see it?
What if...I am better at this than I think?
The problem with "if only" and "when" is that both of these preface statements. Statements of judgments about your work that make it very clear that you don't get to feel good about what you're doing right now. There's no room for negotiation.
"What if," on the other hand, opens a question, and what I've learned is that questions open up an entire realm of possibilities. "What if" is a magic key that unlocks kingdoms, invites curiosity and gives you permission to imagine, dream and rebel against the statements that dismiss you and what you have achieved and are capable of.
Watch this video where I share my own story of how "What if" has changed my own art practice. I never get tired of sharing this story and the transformation that came with it:
And now, it's your turn. What could you ask "what if" about? How could "what if" shift your attention to possibilities and curiosity that would expand your art practice? Take some time. Think about it. Write it down. Could "what if" help you breathe a little more freely in your art practice?