The Creative Mindset: Self-Belief

When my mum was preparing to leave home after university, and travel alone to a far away land, her little sister worried. "Aren't you going to be lonely? Who will look after you?" "Don't fret," said my courageous mum (the eldest in the family and the path finder), "If I ever feel scared or alone, then I'll just look in the mirror and say to myself - Hello Sue, at least I've got you!."

Wherever we go... there we are! We'll always have ourselves. If we can learn to be our biggest fans and cheerleaders, imagine what we can accomplish!

I love this quote I came across: “Imagine if we obsessed about the things we love about ourselves.”

Give yourself a mental, physical and spiritual hug today. You are one of a kind. The world needs what you have to offer.

We ask all our students what their biggest creativity killer is. Time and again the creativity killer that tops the list is self doubt. It's the persistent voice in the head that tell us we're a failure because everyone around us succeeding. It's the inner critic who laughs her head off at the notion that you could be creative. It's the whisper that your ideas don't count because they are not 100% original. It's the naysayer that reminds you that things will never change and you should just accept your lot as it is now.

Is this you? Do you lack confidence in your creative intelligence? Are you not sure you have what it takes to reinvent your life? Do you often feel lik an imposter? Take heart! If you don't FEEL like you believe in yourself, you change how your FEEL by changing how you THINK.

Our feeling comes from our thinking. Self belief is a mindset. Plant this truth in your mind: you already have what it takes to silence your inner critic. Through deliberate effort and with the right tools, you can transform your inner criticism into approval, encouragement and inspiration. You CAN get back to your true creative self and start doing the work you've always wanted to do, the work you were made to do, to impact the world for good. 

Not a creative type? Er.... wrong! If you are human you are a creative type - that is, you were made to create stuff, whether that be businesses, formulas, artworks or computer programmes. 'At its core, creative confidence is about believing in your ability to create change in the world around you. It is the conviction that you can achieve what you set out to do. We think this self-assurance, this belief in your creative capacity, lies at the heart of innovation.' These are the words of Dave and Tom Kelley, in their brilliant book: Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential within Us All. I can't recommend this book enough. It is practical, easy to read and full of helpful and inspiring stories from their work at IDEO and Stanford.d.school which they founded. If you have any doubts in your capacity to create something, especially that thing that you've dreamed about since you were little, then read this book!