Doubts and Fears? You’re Not Alone

Do you have doubts about your practice? Worries about your career? Welcome to being human! Below are some of the issues (in no particular order) that clients have discussed with me in the last few years. The artists and art workers experiencing these doubts are at all different career stages and ages, from 20-ish to 70-something. I share their words here so you can see that you’re not alone if you’ve ever thought:

I’m overwhelmed

Being at my level is nerve-wracking

Why am I doing this?

I get hung up on the little things, hung up on “the best way”

I’m in a loop wondering what I should do first

I’m distracted by the news

I have too many ideas

I struggle with my inner critic

My time is scattered

I’m tired of the professional stuff – I hate dealing with admin like bios, statements, and organizational stuff for applications

It’s painful to love something so much and not be able to give it as much time as I want

I spent twenty years out of the art world and I don’t know where I’m going

It’s hard to be visible

I’m allergic to organizing

I fear putting up a whole show – I’m scared of being seen

It’s just constant panic in the studio, WTF

I have this fear of “this could be all it is”

I’m not showing up for my studio practice, it’s hard to be accountable

Admin is taking over, I’m pulled in different directions

I just want a sustainable art practice

I feel disconnected from my work

I need to change my approach

My perfectionist mentality is killing me

I’ve lost the ability to see that the process is gratifying

I feel isolated, I want to expand my community

I don’t wanna feel exploited

I have so much jealousy, I keep wondering: What should I be doing?

I keep working in a frenzy of desperation

I’ve got this narrative of a “successful artist”

I think my values and lifestyle are misaligned with ideas of success

Nothing is happening

I need more confidence

Am I articulating the work in the right ways?

Having to reach out is the hardest

I have imposter syndrome

I’m bad at prioritizing – where do I direct my energy?

It’s hard to stay afloat, anxiety is constant

I’m nervous about money

Ideas are getting away from me

I feel guilty for striving

I’m uninspired, am I repeating myself?

I might not be able to produce enough work

I’m struggling to find the right opportunities to grow as an artist

I got rejected from some applications and opportunities, what are my next steps?

I can’t seem to find the right people

There’s a wall inside of me

I don’t have discipline

My work is really personal and I feel vulnerable

I feel like an idiot, a failure

I should be able to just do it

I don’t have a cohesive narrative

I’m burnt out, I feel like a robot

I don’t trust my instincts

I talk myself out of projects

I’m afraid of being perceived as random

The good news is that doubts and fears like these are just one part of you. They’re related to an area of the brain that gets activated whenever we do anything new or different. And the brain is capable of changing, even when habits of thought are well established (it’s called neuroplasticity). To retrain your brain, you can learn to first acknowledge whatever doubts and worries come up, and then gently shift your focus to something you find more interesting. This is where your real power lies! For more information, read this post on the Negativity Bias.