I think when most of us think of the phrase “words of affirmation,” many of our minds go to it being one of the love languages, but I believe it holds even more power than that. I’m asking you to place words of affirmation in the context of yourself, how you think and speak to yourself, especially when it comes to your creative work. I think we’re all guilty of being extra hard on ourselves as creatives. We often tell ourselves our work isn’t good, or we find ourselves wanting to perfect it. One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever been given is don’t edit while you’re writing because then the work isn’t authentic. You’re disrupting creative juices, in other words. I find this comes from a place of perfectionism, which is really rooted in low self-esteem. The way in which I talk to myself in these moments is so crucial. I find that these affirmations help me so much when I’m feeling the pressure to be perfect, or I am fearful that people won’t like what I have created:
“I am creative and what I have to say is valued and important.”
“I possess a unique voice, as being my authentic self makes my work inherently authentic.”
“I am not the work I make, what I create is not who I am, but merely how I choose to express myself.”
“I give myself permission to make art in any format I feel inspired to, even if it’s not what I’m perfect at.”
“My work is to express myself, not to appease others.”
“My work will resonate with who it is meant to and it’s okay if not everyone likes it.” (I don’t like all art, I respect it, but why would I expect everyone to like mine?)
“Not every piece of work I make has to be something that gets shown to the public for recognition, some can be made as simply a way to release something personal for my eyes only.”
These are some of the things that I affirm to myself when I’m feeling pressure, fear, or discomfort surrounding my work. I encourage you all to incorporate these into your jargon and add some of your own that you feel fit. I promise the more you repeat something, the more your brain believes it. We often don’t give our brains the credit that they deserve.
Yours Truly,
CiCi