Overcoming fear across the board is a major challenge in many people's lives whether you are aiming for that promotion at work, taking your business to the next level, challenging yourself with an ambitious hobby, or even working on your relationships. It can be a driving factor to your personal, mental, and emotional growth and in some cases prevents progress but that is if you let it. I know; easier said than done however not impossible. As an artist putting my emotions on canvas, being self taught in the industry, and having to open up to others for them to see my art through my eyes; every moment I was vulnerable to letting fear hold me back. I know I am not alone with this and many others can relate if not in the arts, some other way, and throughout all this time I have found my own methods of overcoming many of the intimidations of the art world.
Fear is Very Real
Fear is very real and every person's perception of it is validated. Take a baby, for example, being scared of a vacuum. As an adult it is a tool that we know and understand its function and purpose, however to the baby, this is something new, unknown, and loud to them thus scary. The more the child is around this item and the more often they hear it, over time the child gets used to it and eventually starts using it themselves. The same goes for every individual's perspective of what is considered terrifying to interact with or do. With time, exposure, and practice the thing that was once terrifying becomes a day-to-day piece of your life. Not only would you have overcome fear but you would have also gained a new skill that you can carry throughout life.
Progress of Self-Growth
Again, I know it is easier said than done, especially when you may have had a negative experience in the past but that is totally normal. It is rare that when trying something that we find intimidating and foreign to our lives that you ever experience an immediate positive outcome. As an artist, I’ve stood off to the side and have heard people’s criticism of my works and not all the time would I hear something positive. At times I would hear very negative remarks on my technique or the subject of a work which hurt my confidence at the time but from day one of deciding to go into Arts I practiced acceptance. Art is subjective and so are others' perceptions on lifestyle choices. No one person has the right answer and others are always going to criticize based on their own experiences; other people's opinions are inevitable but how you perceive yourself, your progress, and goal are yours to do what you want with it. At the end of the day the only thing that matters is how you perceive what you are achieving and how good you will feel in the progress of self-growth.
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