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Tips to Improve Your Confidence with Painting

Self-doubt is very common and you are not alone. An artist works on the edge of comfort and vulnerability. In order to grow as a painter, one constantly needs to challenge and push the envelope. There are times when you feel invincible and other times you feel ambivalent about your work. That is when doubt seeps in. These are the times you have to overcome and rise above the insecurities. This lack of confidence can be a big hurdle between you and the artist you want to become. We as mere mortals are always dubious when we advertise and publicize an extension of ourselves. How can we nurture a level of confidence that keeps vulnerability at bay? We need to tune out the disparaging and disapproving voice and tune into our instinctual voice that gives us the freedom to paint. Painting regularly, develops a rhythm- of perceiving the theme and applying the paint. This requires good coordination. Your best work comes out when your whole body is involved in the process, vigorously. Also try to step back from your canvas and examine it from a distance to, at frequent intervals, to make sure it’s going perfect.

If you are a beginner and painting is new to you, start off with paint by numbers for adults kits. We passionately believe that arts have a positive impact on everyone and it’s an amazing hobby to pursue. It boosts your self-confidence and improves your motor skills. If we convince ourselves that we aren’t good enough, let the negativity engulf us and disappointment take over us, then it can refrain us from doing our best work. Eventually we start listening to the voice that says we are good for nothing and stop painting at all. This should never happen. Always believe in yourself and never doubt your capabilities. The crux of this is lack of artistic confidence. Artistic confidence allows us to paint what comes to our mind naturally, without thinking of anyone else’s remarks or approval. It doesn’t make you over-confident, thinking you are an artistic god. It only means to love and cherish the work you do, be kind and compassionate towards your art and ignore the criticizing and condescending voice inside you. Having said that, I don’t mean you should sugar coat everything and go easy on yourself. Self-love means respect yourself and the work you do. It’s like a muscle you can flex and strengthen. Having skill without confidence is not going to lead you anywhere. Also having confidence and no skill or talent can be very dangerous, as there will be no room for improvement.

So how can we gain confidence, when our skills are not that polished? Confidence is not something you gain by saying it in front of the mirror a couple of times. You need to practice and overcome the doubts that arise while making the art and squash that self-criticizing voice inside you. Don’t let the fear of failure and criticism stop you from producing and displaying your art. Believe in yourself vehemently; don’t let even the speck of self-doubt malign your confidence. Hard work and dedication will make you achieve new heights. That is true for any situation, if you set your mind for something, nothing can stop you from getting there. You don’t have to always radiate and flash confidence or wear it on your sleeve, just don’t give up and be consistent and prioritize your goals and you are on the right path. Here are some tips to gain confidence with your painting skills.

Never compare your art with others It can be very discouraging to compare your work with an experienced artist and getting frustrated for not being able to achieve that level of perfection. You have to keep in mind that they have been doing it for years and when you have spent the same time, you will also make it look like a piece of cake. Every artist is unique and has their own journey; you can’t compare apples with oranges, right? It is a very unhealthy and unrealistic approach to compare yourself with others, who had their own opportunities, lifestyles and talents. It makes more sense to compare yourself with the person you used to be. To see how far you have come as an artist. Set goals for yourself and pave your way to self-love and confidence.

Never give-up on learning Learning how to paint and painting is a lifelong process, it is a journey of discovery, an amazing endless journey. We never reach the destination, instead we repertoire a bunch of skills on the way. That is what we should strive for in this journey. We never really touch the pinnacle, the summit, as there is another inspiration, painting style, color combination, texture, composition or idea awaiting us and we start off again the process of learning. All pumped up and exhilarated by the new challenge. So always be ready to learn something new to improve your confidence.

Never think about the end result I know it sounds cliché and repetitive, but it’s true. If something happens along the way, you can rectify it and learn from your mistakes. You analyze the situation, work it out and come out with flying colors. This whole process will give you confidence not the finished product, the fact that you pulled yourself out of troubled waters is when you gain the courage to actually go further and complete the artwork. That is how you grow as an artist. Never give up on yourself.

Never let go off your passion The best piece of advice and encouragement is this. Don’t give up, if you do this then there would be no room for betterment and improvement. Your self-confidence will plummet from the sky. This will overshadow your work every time you want to achieve anything. Even if you think that your improvement is not up to the mark, trust me you will gain new skills.

If thoughts like, no one will buy my art, no one will like it, no one cares , frequently invade your mind then you need to negate the negative thoughts with rational thinking. Boost your confidence with practice.