E8 Creative Confidence: Building Trust in Your Process and Ideas
Today is all about Confidence. It’s one of those things everyone talks about, because it’s easier to talk about than to actually build. It’s not like you wake up one day and say, “Aha! I have confidence now!” I wish it worked that way, but it doesn’t. You may become confident in some things, and not in others. You may feel confident in one area today and then next week, things don’t go as planned and whoosh, the confidence is gone!
Confidence is built over time, a little at a time, and it’s something every creative person struggles with at some point. That’s what we’re talking about today—how to build creative confidence and trust in your own process and ideas.
Here’s the thing: Creative confidence isn’t about never doubting yourself – ever again. It’s about trusting that, even when doubts creep in, you can figure things out. It’s about believing in your ability to move forward, even when things feel a little rocky.
And believe me, I know how this feels. I’ve been there. Back when I first started doing the online things, I remember thinking, “Who am I to teach this? What if people don’t get it, or worse, hate it? There are other people out there doing this, possibly better than me.” And the fact that I had to learn how to put myself on camera, or record myself speaking, Or figure out how to edit all this stuff! Those thoughts are confidence killers. But here’s what I’ve learned: Confidence doesn’t come from having all the answers first. It comes from showing up and doing it anyway. You’re going to be bad at first, especially if it is something you’ve never done, or haven’t done a lot.
In Steven Pressfield’s book, The War of Art, he talks about resistance—the fear, doubt, and distractions that keep us from doing our creative work. He says, “Resistance will tell you anything to keep you from doing your work. It will perjure. It will falsify; it will tell you you’re not ready, you’re not good enough. Does that sound familiar to anybody? Raise your hand – yeah me too, me too! Resistance loves that lack of confidence. It can smell it a mile away. But here’s the good news: Every step forward, no matter how small, weakens its grip.
So today, we’re talking about how to build that trust in yourself and your process. Because that’s what creative confidence really is, building trust in yourself and your process. So, we’re going to look at what might be holding you back and look at some sneaky ways you can get the upper hand right now.
So, what is Creative confidence really? Well, it isn’t about being fearless. It’s not about walking into your studio or workspace everyday thinking, “I’ve got this all figured out.” Spoiler alert: Nobody does.
It IS about trusting your ability to figure things out, even when things feel uncertain. It’s about knowing that, yes, there will be mistakes, detours, and messy moments, but you’re capable of working through them.
Let me break it down a little further because confidence isn’t just one thing, it’s a combination of a few key components that work together-
First, there’s clarity—knowing what you want to create and why. (we’ve talked about this before – and BTW- You’re probably getting a sense of how important That one is) When you have some sense clarity, it’s like having a map. Now, you may not know every turn yet, but you at least know, in general, where you’re headed.
Then there’s competence, the ability to DO something to a degree, and building skills and knowledge over time. You don’t have to be an expert to feel confident – in your competence - , but the more you practice and learn, the more solid you feel.
Next is resilience—being okay with setbacks, and the ability to recover from them to some degree. Let’s be honest here: Creative work doesn’t always go according to plan. But resilience is what lets you say, “Okay, that didn’t work. What can I try next?”
And finally, there’s trust in your process—understanding that the messy middle is just part of the journey. Think of it like painting a room in your house. Things look pretty good, then you have to mess things up, then it gets really bad, then things start getting back into place, then the place looks great! It’s the same with your creative process: When you’re halfway through a project, things might look chaotic, but that’s not a sign to stop. It’s a sign to keep going.
I like to think of confidence like a dimmer switch, not a light switch. It’s not an all-or-nothing thing. It’s something you can turn up gradually, step by step, with practice. The more you create, the brighter that light gets.
Here’s something to think about: When was the last time you felt truly confident? Was it a specific project? Was it around a specific topic? Was there A moment when everything just clicked? What was different about that moment compared to times when you doubted yourself?
Because here’s the secret in that: You already have what it takes. You’ve already felt that confidence before. The goal now is to figure out how to bring more of it into your day-to-day work. Remember, it’s not about a belief that you can do this thing perfectly right now. It’s about trusting yourself that you will figure something out. It’s about trusting that you will be able to figure out the next right step.
With that in mind, Let’s get into what might be holding you back from fully stepping into your creative confidence. Confidence doesn’t just disappear into thin air for no reason. There are usually some sneaky barriers standing in the way.
One of the big ones? Fear of failure. This one gets a lot of airtime because it’s so common. What if it doesn’t work? What if people don’t like what I create? What if I mess it all up? Those thoughts can stop you before you even get started. This probably isn’t news to any of you.
But here’s a twist: there’s also the fear of success. Yes, I said fear of success. And it’s real. Because if your big idea takes off, people are going to notice. And with that comes attention, critique, and, let’s face it, responsibility. I’ve seen this over and over with students. They worry, “What if I get 50 clients at once? How will I handle that?” And I always say, “Let’s focus on handling the first customer first. Your future self will know so much more than you do right now. Trust that you’ll gain experience and be able to figure it out as you go. Please don’t STOP yourself because you’re afraid of what might happen two years from now. There’s no way you can plan for that now.
Another barrier is overthinking and perfectionism. You spend so much time tweaking, and fixing, and changing - trying to make something perfect that you never actually finish it—or worse, you never even start. Remember: finished is better than perfect. Every time.
And then there’s the good ol’ comparison game. This one’s a trap, isn’t it? You’re scrolling through social media, seeing other creators who seem to have it all together, and suddenly you’re questioning everything you’re doing. You’ve got to remind yourself of this: you’re not seeing their messy middle; you’re not seeing how many failed attempts happened before this polished result. You are only seeing what they want you to see. It’s apples to oranges. It’s great to look at it from an aspirational viewpoint. But don’t get caught in comparison.
Let me share a quick story here. When I first started creating surface patterns, I remember staring at the screen, my cursor hovering over the “publish” button. Here’s what I was thinking: “What if no one likes these designs? What if they’re not good enough? What if it’s a failure?” And then I thought, “Okay, but what happens if I don’t hit publish? Nothing happens. Nothing changes. I don’t grow. And the pattern is an instant failure because it didn’t go anywhere.” I was listening to a Jon Acuff podcast the other day and I had to stop and listen closer. He was talking about the “self-fulfilling prophecy” thing. He told the story of A writer who is afraid to actually sit down and write because he thinks no one will buy it, so he doesn’t finish it, so he never publishes it, therefore no one buys it, and therefore he concludes that he knew it – it’ll never sell.
So back to my pattern - I hit the publish button. And guess what? The sun didn’t stop shining. The world didn’t fall apart. Nothing bad happened. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a step forward. And that’s the point—taking the leap, even when you’re not sure what’s on the other side.
Now, here’s a trick I use, and I want you to try it: quiet confidence. Not everyone needs to be bold and loud to be confident and succeed. Some of the most creative and successful people I know are quiet, methodical, and deliberate. Let me say those three things again, jot them down if you can – they are quiet, methodical and deliberate. Their confidence comes from showing up consistently, not making a big splash all at once. And honestly? That kind of quiet confidence is just as powerful, maybe even more so—because it’s steady and sustainable. These are the tricks I use, and they have never failed me.
So, let’s think about this for a second: What’s standing in your way? Is it fear of failure? Fear of success? Overthinking? Or maybe you’re stuck comparing yourself to someone else’s journey. Whatever it is, the first step to overcoming it is naming it. Once you know what you’re dealing with, you can start to tackle it head-on.
Now, let’s talk about how to do just that. Because confidence isn’t just about believing in yourself—although that’s super important - it’s about trusting the way you work, even when it feels messy or uncertain. And the good news? You can absolutely strengthen that trust with a few simple practices.
First, revisit your past wins. One of the best things I’ve done for myself is create a “brag file.” Yep, you heard that right - brag file. You can think of this as a personal resume. The thing you use to showcase your abilities – but this time it’s to remind yourself of what you CAN do. My file is digital and holds pictures of things I’ve made, sketches I’ve done, and projects I’m proud of, even old ones. I also have a notebook where I list wins, big and small, along with things I’ve learned to do that I didn’t know before – the stuff that, instead of saying I can’t because I don’t know how, are things that I learned how to do because I didn’t know how and that is proof I CAN DO stuff I’ve never done before.
Now that’s my long-winded way of saying that but
Here’s why this matters: When my inner critic starts getting loud, telling me I can’t do something, I pull out that notebook. I say, “Oh really? Well, let’s look at this.” And I go down the list: “I learned this. I created that. I’m seeing right here on the screen that I have a website, and I have online courses, taught students, I have an online shop with my artwork much of which has already sold, started a podcast…” And by the time I’m halfway through, that little voice is starting to get really quiet. It’s like holding up a mirror to your accomplishments and saying, “See? I’ve done hard things before, and I can do this one too.
And here’s the thing about that voice, it thinks it’s protecting you from failure or embarrassment. And I suppose that could be admirable in some cases. But it’s also just holding you back from trying anything new and therefore holding you back from success. So, if you don’t already have a brag file or notebook, start one today. It’s not selfish or conceited; it’s necessary. If you were applying for a job you really, really wanted, you’d make your resume as convincing as possible! Right? So, I want you to make your creative resume as convincing as possible so when YOU interview YOU, you become the top candidate. It’s a tool to remind yourself of what you’re capable of when doubts creep in.
Next, celebrate your experiments. And I would add to this – think of everything as an experiment. Let’s see what happens here. Let’s just see what I can do with this idea right now. Let’s just see.
This one’s a game-changer. Shift your focus from the end result to the learning process, the exploration process, the figure this out process. If something doesn’t turn out the way you hoped, that’s okay, it’s not a failure; it’s information. What worked? What didn’t? What was easy? What was difficult? What was I expecting? What turned out differently? I wonder why? What did I just learn that I didn’t know before? Every experiment teaches you something, and that’s worth celebrating. More importantly, it’s worth writing down in your brag notebook. It is not a failure. It is a learning experience, because now you know X!
And finally, define success on your own terms. Confidence grows when your goals and your accomplishments align with what matters to you. If you’re chasing Instagram’s definition of success, it’s going to feel very hollow. But when your goals reflect what matters to you, every step forward -win, lose or draw- feels meaningful. Getting really good at something you don’t care about is a waste of your time. Consider that every single expert was once a student. And just because someone you admire also does XY and Z on the side, doesn’t mean you have to as well.
These are practical exercises that I use, and I want you to steal them from me and use them in whatever way works for you: Take a “confidence inventory. Fill a brag file full of things you’ve created or achieved that make you proud. Big, small, it doesn’t matter. Just write them down. Then, the next time you’re feeling doubtful, pull out that list and remind yourself of what you’ve already accomplished.
Trusting your process isn’t about being perfect; it’s about showing up, trying, and learning as you go. And the more you practice these steps, the more confidence you’ll build—not just in your work, but in yourself.
Building creative confidence isn’t about magically waking up one day and feeling fearless. It’s about taking small, intentional steps—finding clarity in what you want, building competence in your skills, practicing resilience when things don’t go as planned, and trusting your process even when the road feels uncertain. It’s a journey, not a destination.
And here’s the best part: You don’t have to do it all at once.
So, here’s my challenge to you this week: Try one thing to boost your confidence. Maybe it’s revisiting an old project you’re proud of or teaching someone else a skill you’ve mastered. Explaining your process to someone else reinforces your own understanding. It forces you to clarify your thoughts, which in turn builds confidence.
Or maybe it’s as simple as writing down three wins—big or small—that remind you of what you’re capable of. Start small and watch how those little shifts add up.
Let me leave you with this: Confidence doesn’t mean you’ll never have doubts. It’s not a one-time achievement! It means you trust yourself to keep going anyway. And that trust is where the magic happens.
