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october 23, 2006 volume one : issue five Creative confidence. Do you have it? If not, what is keeping you from being confident in the choices you make when you are creating? This week's AEzine is all about gaining confidence in your own personal creative process. Enjoy. Ali  Life is the supreme creative act. We are always choosing, shaping, improvising, with what arises around us. The more we accept what is happening and let go of what we think should be happening or what we want to happen, the more free and alive we become. (Jennifer Louden) You are creative. Yes, even you who are sitting there right now shaking your head and ready to stop reading, you are creative . As I travel around from store to store and event to event, one of the common threads I have noticed is a lack of creative confidence among my students. Even those that are insanely talented and super creative seem to dwell in self-doubt. Self-doubt is one of the biggest obstacles to creativity. It holds you back. It makes you question yourself and wonder that old "good enough" question. And this is before you even step foot into the comparative "she is better than me" dimension (she being anyone you compare yourself to). Best friend to self-doubt is self-criticism. A bit of self-criticism is healthy and beneficial. It helps you grow and move forward in your processes. But, when it begins to stifle you and hold you back and make you want to stop doing something you know you love, well then, it has gone too far. Essentially, creative confidence is learning to trust your instincts. It is accepting that whatever you create has value and merit and goodness. This is a process that takes time, but it is also a "right now" decision you can make. You can decide that you are indeed amazingly, wonderfully creative. You are better than good enough. As my crazy friend Donna says, you are "perfect just the way you create." She is so totally right. Let's take a look at eight ways to bring out your own personal creative confidence: life art top tips: creative confidence 1. Wake up. Wake up tomorrow and decide that you are no longer going to question your ability to tell your own stories and the stories of your family in your own creative voice. Make the decision and go for it. This is the first step. You are going to need to continue to remind yourself of this choice, as it is a choice you will need to make everyday until you come to the day where you wake up and you don't need to tell yourself anymore because it has become a part of who you are (see #5). This is a simple statement that can have a big impact on your entire life (and can be used for many things in your life that are causing you stress). It is all about using your own personal power of choice to make a positive change in your life. 2. Let go. Ah, this is a good one. Let go of that need to have whatever you create be perfect. Creating stuff is inherently imperfect - a complete parallel to life. Why stress yourself out over something that is innately beautiful in its imperfection? What a cool example for your kids and other family members if you can live your life with an attitude of embracing all the crazy imperfections. Embracing imperfection does not mean that you don't care about how something turns out - it simply means that you let go of your personal need to control the outcome. 3. Make a note. When you create something that you really feel good about make a note that details exactly why it makes you feel good? Was it the photo? Was it a technique you used? Was it the color scheme? Was it how you told the story? This requires a bit of extra thinking and reflecting but it is totally worth it. 4. Repeat. After you figure out what made you feel confident on that project, repeat it again in another project. Often it seems that there is this presumed pressure to make something new every time you sit down to create. Where in the heck did that come from? If there is something creatively that makes you feel confident and that you enjoy then do it again. Do it on every project if you want. Make it an everyday part of your personal process. Don't get hung up on trying to reinvent the wheel. 5. Do this. Write "I am creative" on a post-it note and stick it someplace where you will see it everyday. My friend Jeffrey likes to place post-its on his bathroom mirror to showcase his goals. Love that idea for goals and I love it as a reminder to yourself that you are a unique individual and you are a creative being. Those are very good things to remember throughout your day (maybe more than one post- it is necessary throughout your house). 6. Play more. The more you play and experiment the more comfortable you will be with your own choices. Follow your instinct. 7. Stop comparing. It is tough to stop something that seems pretty innate in most of us. The next time you feel that comparison sensation coming on, take a step back and focus on appreciating the other work rather than thinking how much better it is than yours. Say a thank you to the universe for the fact that other creative people exist out there. Take a note of why you like it. Instead of immediately going negative on yourself, applaud the goodness in the other and see what you can learn from it. 8. Watch young kids. Kids exude massive amounts of creative confidence. If you are a par parent of young kids observe them while they are playing with arts and crafts materials - just sit back and watch for a couple minutes and notice the ways in which they play. They have no fear. They are not worried about anyone else but their own creation - and their own creation in the very instant they are creating. The sad fact is that at some point or another, we are all initiated into the world of non-belief in ourselves. How awesome would it be if we could get back to that childlike creative genius. Once again, it is in you - recapture it. good creative reads These are a few of my recent favorite reads related to creativity. I believe that one of the best ways to grow your own creative confidence is by immersing yourself in things that inspire you, that make you want to take risks and grow as a person (and as a wonderfully creative individual). Messy Thrilling Life by Sabrina Ward Harrison  It's Beautiful Then Gone by Martin Venezky All Messed Up: Unpredictable Graphics by Anna Gerber  Alphabetica by Lynne Perrella  The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp 52 Projects by Jeffrey Yamaguchi The Creativity Book by Eric Maisel Trust the Process by Shaun Mcniff weekly challenge  This week I want you to create something that celebrates your own creativity. Even if it is simply writing the statement "I am creative" and sticking it on your mirror that is excellent. If you want to take it a step further put together a layout titled "I am creative" and talk about how you feel about your level of creative confidence. This is not a layout you have to share if you don't want - but sometimes letting our fears out in the open is the first and best step in overcoming them. Come by my blog and post your challenge layout link on Friday, October 27, 2006. Can't wait to see your photo story. question & answer Q from Lisa : I am loving your ezine. And I've loved your blog for a long time!� I do have a question:� I feel a little inferior around some of my sisters when I see their work. They're very talented!� One of my sisters will, ummm, how can I say this? Well, she'll just say to me "Why'd you do it like that? Isn't that weird?" that's just her way!� So how do I tune her out and do it the way I want to do it? You are right on Lisa - tuning her out is probably the best way to proceed. Or you can say, "I did it like that because I like it like that. And nope, it's not weird." And then smile and move on to your next project. Q from N : I recently entered a scrapbooking contest that I poured my heart and soul into only to discover that I lost. I feel creatively depleted. How are you able to find inspiration in the mist of an artistic slump? Not being chosen is always hard. It is especially difficult when it is something that is related to our family, our creative self, and is such an expression of who we are in our hearts. Here's the deal with contests: you have to be able to separate yourself from you as a "person" and you as a "contestant." This is not easy to do, but it is necessary. Not winning a contest has nothing to do with your worth or your creative ability - especially in the scrapbooking world. I am totally familiar with artistic slumps. They are so very normal and a natural part of the ebb and flow of a creative lifestyle. When I get in a slump I do whatever I can to take a break and do something entirely different. I read books unrelated to art/scrapbooking/etc. I exercise more. I do whatever it was that I didn't have time for when I was feeling super inspired. I now welcome the slump as an invitation to recharge my creative batteries, introduce different things into my mind and heart, and simply rest. Q from Poppy : Something which I struggle with with my �Scrapbooking� is looking back over my older and some of my earliest work. I look at it and cringe at times!! I know all the reasons about enjoying the journey and seeing the creative process develop but at times�just feel �wow these are some of my most precious memories - and look what I�ve done to them!! I really wish at times I had just kept photo albums too!! But now that process seems so overwhelming to go back and do!� I am very proud of recent work but wonder if my Children will look at these albums one day and think �Gee what was Mum thinking!!?� Will all Scrapbooking �date� over time? I know you love to embrace imperfection but how do you really embrace imperfection!!! All scrapbooking will date over time. There is absolutely no doubt about it. What I like most about my oldest pages is that they exist not only as a record of the stories told on the page, but also as a record of my personal artistic adventure. And here's something I have found valuable: going over my older pages helps me see what I like and don't like about my own scrapbooking. One of the main things I have learned is that the pages I love the most often tell the best stories. They are the stories I feel like I told completely - there was nothing missing when I looked at it again. I have also noticed that I really enjoy the layouts that have more than one photo - just my own personal preference right now. This has helped me keep my focus when I scrapbook today. As of your kids wondering "what was Mum thinking?" - how cool that they will be able to read and "see" what you were thinking rather than wondering because there is no record of you for them to pick apart. A lot of embracing imperfection comes down to attitude and perspective - especially when looking back at our own work. I embrace the fact that I am always growing and changing (and I am completely imperfect) and things that appeal to me today may not tomorrow. My goal with scrapbooking is to effectively tell my stories to the best of my ability and to ENJOY the process while I am in the middle of it. Q from Nicole : My question/topic is about creativity and personal expectations.�I am fairly new to scrapbooking and most of what I have done up to this point has been scraplifted - sometimes completely and sometimes just elements, but I have a hard time coming up with creative ideas myself.�When I do however have one of those rare moments that I envision a layout, I have an even harder time executing that vision.�I can't decide which patterned paper to use, what embellishments to use, how to create the title...and even if I manage to wing that, then�there is the FEAR of gluing it down - committing to a layout/page that might not be 'perfect'.� Now I'm not looking to be published or win any award I just want pages that I love and will be proud to show off once they are done.� Maybe my personal expectations are too high, maybe I compare myself to the 'professionals' too often, but I'm wondering if you have any suggestions on how to feel more comfortable with personal creativity and design.�Any ideas on how to make the process easier and/or any suggestions on improving creativity in general? I hope that as you read through the information above you found a couple ideas that will help you become more comfortable with you own personal creativity. I think that how you are feeling is really normal. It is so easy to get stuck in the trap of trying to make everything perfect - the more you worry about it the less you will be able to create and the less confident you will be in your own projects. And the less you create the less you are comfortable with going with the flow, overcoming obstacles, and just having fun with a hobby that is supposed to be a really enjoyable experience. There is something to be said for pushing through your fear, for sticking stuff down even when you are not feeling sure (because in reality I bet it will look great there), and just getting some pages done and into your albums. Let go of the need to be absolutely in love with every one and instead spend some time just "getting it done." If you have a question you would like to have answered send me an email and write "newsletter" in the subject line. Copyright � 2006 Ali Edwards/AE Design/Life Art Media. Please do not reproduce any content without permission. Ali Edwards, author of A Designer's Eye for Scrapbooking and A Designer's Eye for Scrapbooking with Patterned Paper, is Creative Editor of Creating Keepsakes magazine where she writes a monthly inspiration column called Studio A . She is a wife, mother, artist, writer, and seeker of balance. Owner of AE Design and Life Art Media, she conducts life art workshops around the globe. You can find her online on her blog or contact her through email at ali@aliedwardsdesign.com
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