Self-Doubt
Hey there. Spooky season is upon us. Be merry.
I just closed up my show, MOTHERLOAD with artist Ana Trevino, at Texas State University. It was a whirlwind. The show was up, the show was down, and in the middle of it my kid got pink-eye. I've barely had a moment to think about it, so I'm trying to spend time at the reflection stage this month.
To learn more about the ideas behind this exhibition, read more here. (!)
But in the meantime, I want to talk about self-doubt.
There were lots of moments in putting this show together when I had doubts. I doubted the design. I doubted my color palette. I doubted if the work made sense together. While self-doubt can be a menace, there are times when doubt can be helpful in the creative process.
Here's what record producer, Rick Rubin has to say about it:
"It's worth noting the distinction between doubting the work and doubting yourself.
An example of doubting the work would be 'I don't know if my song is as good as it can be.' Doubting yourself might sound like 'I can't write a good song.' These statements are worlds apart both in accuracy and in impact on your nervous system."
I love this distinction. So here's the question:
What does doubting yourself look like?
What does doubting your WORK look like?
Doubting yourself can look like:
- I'm not a very good painter.
- I don't know what I'm doing.
- I'm never gonna figure this out.
- If I was meant to do this, I would have done XYZ by now.
Doubting your work can look like:
- This format might be limiting me.
- I'm not as excited about this approach anymore.
- I'm not sure this collaboration is a fit.
- It might be useful for me to try this work a different way.
We want the emphasis to be on the work, not the maker. This is important because when you're doubting the work, you can take an action to change the outcome. You just need to change the format, approach, technique, etc. Maybe you just need to get some more reps in!
When you're doubting yourself, it feels hopeless. Everything feels finite. It feels like there is nothing you can do. You feel stuck. This kind of self-doubt is toxic. And it can start in one area of your life and quickly bleed into other areas like a disease.
Don't let it!
So, what type of doubt are you struggling with?
Can you reframe that doubt to be centered on the work vs. you, the artist?