Of all the things that I hear most often from adults who are interested in art-making experiences....it's most often signs of a lack of confidence in themselves.
And the second most prevalent story I hear? They had a "bad" art teacher who told them they sucked and forced them to make art in that teacher's certain style.
Sometimes it's a full story they share with me of the obviously painful moment where they lost that confidence. Sometimes it's evidenced by a flippant claim that they haven't got a creative bone in their body. Sometimes it's silent, like furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips, as they attempt to overcome the negative thoughts dancing mockingly in their heads as they attempt to conquer the shame that should have never been set upon them.
How fascinating it is that so many of us humans could be so pained by someone's disparaging comments about something we created. What is it about our own art creation that feels so incredibly personal that we let ourselves feel shamed by a single person's words, and mortified when others later see future attempts?
I don't have solid answers for those things. I'm sure there is some scientific research out there on this. But I can tell you this:
I will always be a listening ear if you want to unload your "bad art teacher" story. But after that, you have to work on moving on beyond that bad experience. That person is not here in the studio watching you make art and growing in your confidence. Maybe they're not even in your life or this world anymore. Even if they are, you never have to show them that art piece you made.
But someday, I hope you do. I hope you show them and I hope you're proud of what you made. I hope they see your confidence as a bold defiance to their jealousy. I hope they see what you now see in yourself, and what I saw in you from the beginning: an innately creative being who has the ability to see and to make something beautiful.
-Rebecca
Why do Adults lose confidence in their art-making?
