When we change one thought in any area of our thinking it changes everything else. The more I think about this principle the more I begin to question what is possible through my art and creativity. On this episode, we’re going to talk more about negative underlying beliefs and how choosing our beliefs on purpose is a powerful habit for our art practice. I’ll also prepare you for what to expect from yourself when you begin to change your thinking, as well as how and when you need to change your mind.
Outline of This Episode
- [2:58] The power of choosing on purpose
- [15:53] What happens when we begin to choose
- [21:33] How to change your mind
The choice is YOURS
How’s your art practice going? If it’s going really well, you are likely not looking to make any changes. Why try and fix what isn’t broken, right? However, even though you like where you’re at, there could be negative underlying beliefs keeping you from reaching your full potential. That’s why intentionally choosing our own beliefs and thought processes is so important! Choosing on purpose allows you to practice understanding what you like and what you don’t with intention. When you do that, you are less likely to fall into confusion about your art and you begin to develop a framework for making decisions. You don’t react to everyone else’s opinion about how and why you should create your work. You’re not fazed by the unhelpful random comments from well-meaning friends and family. You get to decide what you believe and what things mean to you and your practice. Owning who you are and what you create means purposely and intentionally deciding your own beliefs about your art.
Get curious
So much of an artist’s inability to choose their beliefs and take responsibility for their work comes from the fear of getting it wrong. We let underlying beliefs like “the gallery knows more than I do” dictate how we think and feel about our art because doing so means unintended results are not our fault. But here’s the thing: NO ONE knows more about your art than you do. And while feedback is good, opinions are just opinions. You get to choose how you feel about it and how you respond to criticism. Valid or not. So what if it is a valid critique of your work? Rather than hiding behind all the reasons why it’s not your fault, what if you took responsibility for the outcome and responded with curiosity instead? What if you took it as a challenge to go deeper and grow as an artist? The outcome of the previous painting will be the same either way, but only curiosity can help the next one.
The new normal
When you have spent most of your life letting people and circumstances decide what you believe about yourself and your art, learning to choose those beliefs for yourself can be an uncomfortable process. I want you to know that up front because I don’t want that discomfort to discourage you. You will get things wrong. Maybe even more so at first. You will doubt yourself and say “I don’t know” quite literally a million times. You may even revert back to old ways of thinking just because it feels normal. But I promise you, the more intentional you are about choosing your beliefs, the more normal healthy mindsets will feel. You’ll start to learn just how much you can trust yourself. Some belief systems are easy to change, while others take more effort, but if you stick with it, you will see the results you are looking for.
Resources Mentioned on this episode
- The Savvy Painter Growth Studio
- The Savvy Painter Community
