First, write down five things your parents (or other important caregivers/authority figures) said about art or creativity. Maybe you’re like me, and your parents said lots of good things about art—perhaps that the arts make you well-rounded, or that being a good singer makes you special. But, chances are, somewhere along the line you heard someone say something negative, maybe over and over again. One thing I’ve internalized is ‘I’m not a REAL artist because I’m good at more than just art.’

Next, try to reframe that internalized belief into a question. For my belief above, I might ask myself ‘are there artists who are good at more than just art?’

Now, I answer that question for myself. And, inevitably, I conclude that I know plenty of artists and creatives who are good at more than just art. My mom, for example, who was a CPA before turning to a variety of creative pursuits, most recently watercolor. I consider her to be a ‘real’ artist, even though she excels at other things. Literally the majority members of the band Queen, who mostly have science degrees for whatever reason. I’d call them real artists, even though they excelled at practical things to. So, I now have to face the logic of what I’ve just answered—there are a lot of people I consider to be ‘real artists’ who are good at things besides their art.

And the final step: rewrite that limiting belief into something more true. Mine would be ‘Real artists are people who make art.’ 

Pick one of your new truths that resonates you and sit with it a bit—maybe write it on a post-it and stick it on a mirror, or use it as an affirmation. The goal here is to try and rewire your brain to free you from these limiting things you tell yourself, and to do that, you have to tell yourself new, freeing things.

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