“Contemplation,” the experimental mobile made in the style of Alexander Calder and using abaca, flax and paper from the book, Think Like a Monk.
What can you do if your confidence starts to waver?
I had the incredible luck to spend a week with a talented group of women and artists. We were at Pocosin Arts, for a weeklong immersion into paper-making and creativity with artist Nicole Uzzell. Being around so much talent is enough to make your confidence wane. All of their amazing creations blew my mind. I struggled to find that type of expansive creativity—going beyond the literal. (No big surprise, considering the style of art I typically make.)
While I wouldn’t call it a crisis of confidence, you can probably relate to that faltering feeling. A voice starts to yammer in your head, and you forget about the strides you’ve made so far.
I spent some time in that headspace these last 2 weeks, then it hit me: maybe the bar has moved! I talk to other artists a lot about leveling up their game. Well, each time you level up, you’re with a new group of players and the yardstick can be cruel. (Time to listen to my own advice?)
I felt a similar trepidation when dropping off my art for a group exhibition called When There Are Nine. I was invited to join a group of highly accomplished artists (MFAs, BFAs, etc.) to honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg. They are all so many things that I am not, and it shook my confidence. But my art was well received by them all, and the public as well. It makes sense now that I would be wavering, as this was a level-up experience.
If you find your confidence sagging at work, socially, or in some new environment, start immediately by considering where the bar is. (And I don’t mean to head out for drinks!) If you just got a promotion it’s natural to feel insecure around your higher level peers. Or if you’ve taken on a new project, you now have a learning curve. That’s just another way that the bar can move.
It’s important to step back and take a wider view. Get perspective on how you are rising to new and different challenges. It certainly helped me. What is challenging you right now?
Maggie
