Mindset Will Make or Break Your Art Practice

While I firmly believe that artmaking is a right that every human is entitled to, I am all too familiar with the mindset blocks that we often allow to bring our art to a screeching halt. We entertain thoughts like,

I’m not good enough.

Who am I to consider myself an artist?

I’ll never be as good as so-and-so.

I just don’t have the talent.

It shouldn’t be so hard.

I’m just a poser, copying my idols and not being original.

Don’t beat yourself up if you have these thoughts. We’ve all had them! The thing that separates the people who stick with art and reap the many benefits of it and the people who allow these thoughts to squelch their enjoyment of art—perhaps even quitting altogether—is not inborn talent. It’s mindset.

It is possible—and crucial—to take control of your mindset as an artist. This isn’t done in one magical moment. It’s a continual practice of replacing unhelpful thoughts with empowering thoughts that further your artistic dreams and goals.

Stop Worrying About Being Original

We all have art teachers and art heroes who inspire us. It’s only natural that we paint like them at times. Early in my abstract painting journey, I’d get frozen with thoughts of, “I feel like I’m copying the style of others! I have no originality or voice.” These thoughts really brought me down, as you can imagine. Have you had similar thoughts?

Austin Kleon’s book Steal Like an Artist was very helpful to me in combating these unhelpful thoughts and developing a more effective artist mindset. The author makes it clear that there is no true original idea, and that true creativity is found when you riff on the work of artists that inspire you. Your voice can be found by taking what you like and leaving the rest—or even “fixing” work that you hate. The most impactful quote from this book for me was “Where you fail to copy your chosen artist is exactly where it gets interesting.”

This book helped me make a critical mindset shift: If I was going to find my own unique style of painting, I had to shelve my worry about being original and focus on getting started. It worked! Today I feel a sense of freedom of expression when I paint—I know that despite the influence of other artists, what flows from my paintbrush is 100% my voice.

Think Like a Pro

You may be familiar with Steven Pressfield’s famous book The War of Art. This book is all about adopting the mindset of a professional to combat resistance. This book is famous for a reason: It coaches you to keep on creating in spite of your inner resistance. It’s normal to feel resistance when you want to be an artist, but are you willing to face this demon down on a daily basis to reach your goals and dreams?

I also found it helpful to shift my artist mindset when I became a professional artist. It takes courage to sell your work to the world or to begin teaching art! I had to put the kibosh on thoughts like:

I’m not ready.

Nobody will buy this.

Am I good enough?

I needed to create a sense of urgency to take steps like creating a website, developing offerings, creating a marketing system, and building a team to support my business. I found it helpful to sometimes think of it as wearing two hats: sometimes I wear the artist hat (a beret?) and I create freely, not thinking of the art as a product or service. Other times, I put my art entrepreneur hat on (a green visor, perhaps) to move my paintings, courses, and membership out into the world. 

If you have dreams of being a professional artist, you can’t think like a hobbyist. Think like a professional and move the needle!

Think Like a Scientist

I also like to think like a scientist when it comes to my work. Scientists experiment. They try things out and see what happens. Do they cry and wring their hands when they see the results of the experiment? I like to think that they say, “Look at these results—how interesting!”

Artists need to experiment, and that can feel like a scary risk. I encourage you to take an experimental approach to your art, assuring yourself that no matter the result, it’s all useful data. Don’t judge yourself, your art, or your efforts based on the results being good or bad. Just try new things and see what you learn.

What Mindset Shifts Will You Make?

What are the mindset stumbling blocks you face? Are they keeping you from creating at all? I’d love to hear from you in the comments so I can cheer you on as you shift to a more helpful mindset!