Struggling with self doubt or imposter syndrome as an artist? Learn how to build confidence, overcome fear, and keep going as a creative even during rejection and slow seasons.
Chile, this is my LEAST favorite topic, but it the most necessary. Believing in yourself and seeing beyond your right now is a DAILY task. This is probably the hardest part about it all.
Not the painting. Not the projects. Not even the pressure. THE POWER TO PUSH THROUGH.
It is trying to keep going when you do not feel like it. When you do not feel worthy. When the calls are intermittent, the yeses are few, and the rejection emails seem to come more than the opportunities.
It is choosing to keep swimming when the current feels insurmountable. That is the part people do not always talk about when it comes to being a creative.
There were moments before some of my biggest opportunities, including FIFA, where I questioned everything. Not my talent, but my timing. My place. Whether I was truly ready for what I had been asking for. When things are quiet or inconsistent, it can make you feel like you are doing something wrong or that you are being overlooked.
Baby, that is where self doubt creeps in andddddddd where imposter syndrome starts talking. It tells you that you are not enough. That someone else is better. That maybe this is not meant for you after all. And if you are not careful, you will start to believe it.
I had to learn how to fight that. Not by ignoring it, but by choosing not to agree with it. I also fortified my mind daily with the right podcasts, messages, quotes, songs, and images--- that all pulled me through.
Because the truth is, confidence as an artist is not something that shows up perfectly. It is something you build. It is something you practice. It is something you choose, over and over again, even when your feelings do not match.
I had to say yes to myself before the world said yes to me. I had to keep showing up, even when I did not feel seen. I had to keep creating, even when the response was quiet. I had to keep believing, even when the evidence was not there yet. That is the internal work behind external success.
People see the murals, the partnerships, the moments, but they do not always see the discipline it takes to keep going when things feel uncertain. They do not see the nights where you question if it is all worth it, or the mornings where you have to push yourself to start again.
But that is where the growth happens. That is where you build resilience. That is where you prove to yourself that you are capable of more than how you feel in the moment.
Overcoming self doubt as a creative is not about waiting until you feel confident. It is about moving forward anyway. It is about creating even when you are unsure. It is about trusting that your consistency will carry you through the seasons where motivation is low. Because it will happen more than once on your journey.
If you are in a season where things feel slow, where you are questioning your path, or where you are waiting on your moment, I want you to know this. You are not alone and this does not mean it is not working. What it really means is that you are in the middle of becoming.
Do not let rejection define you. Do not let silence discourage you. Do not let comparison make you forget what makes you unique.
Keep going. Keep creating. Keep saying yes to yourself. Keep asking God what he wants from you. Because the moment you have been waiting for is not just about the opportunity, it is about who you become while you are preparing for it.
And when it comes, you will be ready. This is truly a note to SELF.