The 'I Am An Artist' Challenge

Day Four

#callyourselfanartistchallenge

Hello artist friend

A HUGE part of being an artist that I don’t see talked about much, is self trust.

My experience of being an artist changed significantly when I realised I could trust myself to know when a painting is finished, or to decide that my work was ready to submit to galleries.

I spent a long time wanting validation from teachers, and it wasn’t until I let that go that things started really changing for me.

I believe this is a process, although the shift itself can happen in a moment, as it did for me.

It was essentially the culmination of a process of learning to see myself differently, and more truthfully.

Everything we’re doing in this challenge supports that process and shift, but don’t worry if it takes longer than a week to really feel it!

It's a practice too, which means it's something we actively participate in, not something we wait to be bestowed upon us.

So, on the topic of self trust, here are some questions to ponder in your notebook today. They’re repeated in different ways so you can find a way in:

• What has always been true for me?
• What can I rely on myself for that supports me in my life as an artist? What can I come back to in myself for reassurance, no matter what’s going on?
• What is it about who I am that I can trust? What qualities do I have?
• What can I rely on myself to be?

Here’s what I would write, if you need an example:

•  I can trust that the art will always come back, even if it goes away for periods, because it has time and time again and I know in my bones that it will. It's who I am.
  
•  I can trust my artist self to always be there, even if I feel I can’t access it.
  
•  I know that I’ve always been and always will be curious, open minded, enthusiastic, willing, experimental and persistent. I know some days that won’t feel true, but I also know that that doesn’t mean it isn’t.
  
•  I can trust myself to have my own back.
  
•  I can trust myself to ask for help when I need it.
  
•  I can trust myself to ask myself difficult questions and allow the answers to arise in me.
  
•  I can trust myself to always be creative in many different ways.

 Still with me? Fantastic - all this is planting in seeds in you. You may not see full results in a week, but you can be sure things are shifting in your favour!

Tara

PS. If you find areas where you'd like to trust yourself but don't feel you do yet, that's good intel!

Make a note of those, do some writing around them, and try one of my favourite tricks {which we'll talk about more tomorrow} - write them on a post it note and stick them up where you can see them often!