How to Overcome Critical Thoughts and Sharing More of Who We Are
This year, I’m pursuing a big, slightly scary goal for my art business (For now, I’m keeping it mostly under wraps). In preparation for this Big Goal, I’ve been going through and scanning old artwork. It’s a tedious exercise, and one that’s brought up some interesting feelings.
First, there’s a sort of nostalgia—I can remember when and where I painted certain things; I can remember who ‘I was’ back then and what life was like. Then there’s gratitude for all the work ‘past me’ put in to develop my skill and create sweet little products. Not to mention gratitude for the gift of creativity!
But then there’s this other feeling that I’m not so proud of…judgement.
Sometimes when I look at my past work, I get hung up on the imperfections and the naiveté. Negative thoughts abound: This is not good enough. No one will like this. I hate those colors. Look how bad my lettering was.
These critical thoughts swirl around to form a haze that makes it difficult to see the work for what it truly is—lovely. Perhaps not perfect, perhaps not reflective of my current tastes, sure. But undeniably lovely. And totally worthy of being saved, freshened up a bit, and most importantly shared with others.
Sometimes, the fog can stretch beyond the work, and begin to cloud how I perceive myself, too. The negative thoughts turn personal: This looks juvenile…No one will take me seriously. This doesn’t look how I wanted it to…I’ll never be able to do it. This doesn’t reflect my tastes…Maybe I don’t have anything important to say or offer.
Too often, our own overly critical voice stops us from sharing not only what we’ve made or done…but worse, it stops us from sharing who we are with others. And that is a tragedy.
Because we need each other.
There probably are some people out there who look at my past (or even current) artwork, and think, “Bless her heart," (or worse). But then there are others for whom it will be a delight to behold, something to cherish and pass on. And for others still, it may even serve as inspiration to tap into their own creative gifts.
The potential upside of sharing my work is far better than the potential downside.
The same goes for me (and you). Even though I am not perfect or as polished as I’d like to be, I can still bless others. Now, we can certainly (and I do) pursue self-improvement. It’s important to seek higher things and to want to be excellent at certain things. But it’s so crucial that we don’t wait to share ourselves with others until we’ve gotten things “just right.”
Right now, at this very moment, with all our flaws and rough edges, we can be a gift to someone else.
Who we are—you and I—can delight and inspire, too.
Mindset Shift
Here’s the thing, though…when I sit and reflect, I know this all to be true. But in the day to day, I forget! The negative thoughts are more habitual than the positive thoughts. And I’d like to change that.
So, I’ve been working to shift and strengthen my mindset in a few ways:
First, I’ve been trying to remember that my value is not derived from my work. My accomplishments are good. My tenacity and desire for work is good. But if all that were to go away, I would not be less me. I am beloved cherished just because.
Second, I’ve been trying to consider my work with a more generous spirit. I have a knack for seeing the potential in others, so I’m attempting to look at my work (and myself) as I would at someone else’s—with more admiration, curiosity, and enthusiasm.
Finally, on a practical level, I’m trying to first focus on what I like about a piece, rather than what I do not like. I must offer a complement first, and then if I need to, a critique or correction. There’s good in everything and everyone. And I want to uncover that goodness and help it shine more brilliantly.
Can you relate to what I’ve shared today? What mindset shifts do you need practice to be more firmly rooted in the truth of who you are and who you are called to be?