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Hello <<First Name>>,
Welcome to the February 2015 edition of Arts Awareness E-Newsletter delivered to your desktop each month. If you know someone who may be interested in receiving this newsletter, please let them know how to sign up through www.artsawareness.com.
 CONSCIOUS CREATIVE CONFIDENCE
 Artists often experience dramatic and varying waves of confidence swings. There are days when things go well, when they feel strong and productive; and then there are days when they question their abilities or feel weak and insignificant. That’s not so different from what all of us experience in nearly all aspects of our daily lives. We all experience disappointments in life. We’ve had to perform in certain ways to achieve the approval of others, perhaps even feeling at times that we weren’t quite good enough. More than likely we’ve experienced cruel words and hurtful behaviors coming at us from others. In spite of the fluctuating emotions of certainty and insecurity, successful artists take charge and find a way past the feelings of doubt and fear, transforming them into confidence and courage. And the more they experience the swing from fear to faith in themselves, the more they have the capacity to face challenges, persevere in trying times, and remain strong when confronted with difficulties and disappointments.
If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,'
then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.
~Vincent Van Gogh
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The world we live in today requires that we think more creatively than we ever have in the past. We can learn from successful artists how to engage more effectively in the creative process of our work and home lives. Here are a few of the skills we can learn to gain courage and find confidence in creating our lives.
- Successful artists learn to let go of the stories they created about themselves that came from past difficulties and failures.
- They let go of the stories from others about their personal worth or the merit of their work.
- They use every experience they have, whether positive or negative, to build their confidence.
- As they open to the challenges and opportunities of obstacles and failures, they are empowered by the strength that comes from working through the fear of starting again.
- They let go of the insecurity of comparisons.
- They keep showing up no matter what, willing to take risks, to be open, and be themselves.
Always be a first-rate version of yourself,
instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.
~ Judy Garland
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 Time after time, artists of all kinds have conquered their fears, overcome obstacles, and risked showing up amidst struggles, failure, and the negative opinions of others.
- Paul Gauguin said, “The landscape with its violent, pure colours dazzled and blinded me. I was always uncertain...” Yet he painted landscapes.
- It’s been said that Beethoven's music teacher told him he was a hopeless composer. Here is a recording of his famous Moonlight Sonata for piano.
- Fred Astaire is said to have received an evaluation after his first screen test by an MGM director that said, "Can't act. Slightly bald. Can dance a little."
- Famous opera singer Enrico Caruso is said to have been told by a teacher that he had no voice at all and he couldn’t sing.
- Anna Marie Robertson Moses taught herself to paint when she was 78. Grandma Moses, as she became known, won numerous awards, appeared on magazine covers, television, and in a documentary of her life.
- Although it had been turned down by 18 publishers before MacMillan finally published it in 1970, Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach sold more than 7 million copies by 1975.
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There are many more stories of the experiences, doubts, and even depression of the some of the greatest artists in history. Yet they worked through the angst and fear of the unknown. They prepared themselves. They practiced and ultimately learned they had a unique voice. All of us have that option to begin to express ourselves with the particular uniqueness of who we are as individuals. There is no time limit. Be proactive; take control. Consciously move through this contemporary world like a successful artist.
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Interesting-check it out
- This video, Brené Brown: The power of vulnerability, features researcher and thought leader Brené Brown speaking about vulnerability. She writes and speaks about the importance of vulnerability, courage, authenticity, shame, and moving beyond the judgments of others. Explore two of her books that are also relevant to conscious creative confidence—I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Making the Journey from "What Will People Think?" to "I Am Enough" and Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
- Letters to a Young Artist: Straight-up Advice on Making a Life in the Arts-For Actors, Performers, Writers, and Artists of Every Kind by Anna Deavere Smith offers brass tacks advice to aspiring artists of all kinds to challenge you, motivate you, and set you on a course to pursue your art. The ideas for artists can be adapted to the art of conscious creative confidence in your daily life and work.
- The Atlantic article The Confidence Gap by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman discusses the importance of confidence to success in life and work and evidence that shows how women are less self-assured than men. The article points out that the lack of self- assurance can be changed and that with work, confidence can be acquired.
- What Steve Jobs Taught Us About Creative Confidence by Tom Kelley and David Kelley, reprinted from their book Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within All of Us, shares how the focused “intentionality” held by Steve Jobs can help you learn to realize and unleash your own contribution to the world.
Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and
above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for
something and that this thing must be attained.
~ Marie Curie
Contact Dr. Patricia Hoy for media appearances, to book her to speak at your event, or to engage her workshop or consulting services—
Guest Speaking—Corporate, Education, or Arts Events—that provides motivation for launching the beginning a project, keynote theme inspiration, or setting the foundation for a goal to be achieved.
Customized Consulting; In-Service Workshops; On-Site Training Institutes; Seminars; Conference Sessions; Seminars; and Round Tables—all specially designed for Businesses, Companies, Educational Institutions, Organizations, or Arts Groups.
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About the Arts Awareness Newsletter:
This newsletter is meant to spark ideas and develop a deeper understanding of artistic processes and their use in leadership, everyday life, and work. Content, which comes from personal experiences and a variety of sources, is based on the Arts Awareness concepts developed by Patricia Hoy. Questions? Comments? Contact Patricia at patricia@artsawareness.com or 901-229-1955, N. 93rd Way, Scottsdale, AZ.
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