Overcoming doubts about your art may be one of the most difficult aspects on the road to being a successful artist. Nothing can cripple your creative ability like self-doubt, especially if this mindset becomes habitual. Below is the story of my struggle and how it was overcome.

From Accomplishments to Doubt

It was my first and only commercial art gallery at the time and the owner was a respected artist who wasn't afraid to speak her mind. With very few accomplishments on my short resume, my ego was still fragile. The gallery owner had previously offered compliments and encouragement, but this day proved to be different. The paintings brought to the gallery that day were not my best, the terrible result of trying to please. When the gallery owner saw the paintings, she stated, "This isn't you," and she rejected them.

The fact that she was trying to encourage me is something I now realize, but at that time it was devastating. The events that followed over the next couple of years didn't help. The Great Recession kicked in, along with serious family health issues. Sales flattened which resulted in ejections from various shows and the previously mentioned gallery. I started chasing all kinds of things: new subject matter, new techniques, and new styles; anything to raise my spirits and career. It didn't help much. Minimal likes on social media increased the discouragement. Giving up was a serious consideration.

Room for Improvement

We artists tend to be a pretty sensitive bunch. Sensitivity can be our greatest asset and our greatest enemy. It works in our favor when creating great art yet works against us when we receive criticism. Being so close to our work can turn rejection into an insult.

Don't get me wrong. There was room for improvement and rejection can be a good motivator to improve. Looking back, I'm now grateful for those rejections. The years of frustration and struggle, even the somewhat scattered pursuit of varied subject matter, which consisted of wildlife, landscape, still life, and the human figure prepared me for historical Native American subject matter.

From Doubt to Confidence

Native American subject matter was not something I had ever considered; it was almost discovered by accident. Mediocrity was the initial result, but persistence was key. Public reception was uncertain, but at that point, it didn't matter. Regardless of how it would be received, I decided to persevere. Trying to please the phantom critique that resided in my mind, and obsessing over social media affirmation had become old.

Ironically, it was at this point when things started to turn around. Instead of critiquing work from the imaginary perspective of another person, it was critiqued from my perspective alone. I wanted to paint something that I would enjoy on my wall, nothing else. Not only was art enjoyable again, but it was well-received by the public. In less than two years, I ended up becoming the featured artist for the most prestigious wildlife art show in the world.

A Plan for Overcoming Doubts

There are several strategies for overcoming doubts about your art. Study great art, not to bring yourself down, but to learn what good art is. Assess your work with this knowledge, not the phantom perspective of others. Also, create for yourself an art routine. When I decided to become an artist, I committed to do five sketches a day every day for five years, advice derived from the book The Art of Field Sketching. If you would rather paint, then perhaps commit to painting an hour a day, or something similar. Don't focus so much on the results, rather consider yourself successful for having fulfilled the commitment, even if you do a bad painting that day.

It has been said that you must make about 10,000 mistakes to become a good artist, so get them made and consider it an accomplishment when you do. This will help you focus on what will make you successful. And finally, if possible, seek out good instruction through workshops, videos, or mentorship. It will not promise you financial success, but it will eventually lead to confidence and enjoyment in your work. Combine that with self-promotion, marketing, and some business sense, and you are much more likely to find artistic and even financial success and more of all help you in overcoming doubts about your art.

Please leave your comments and experiences below. I would love to hear from you! Also, see my artwork at www.jasontako.com and be sure to check out my YouTube channel.

Jason Tako is a nationally known fine artist who specializes in western, wildlife, plein air, and Historical Native American subject matter. He spent his learning years sketching the wetlands and wooded areas of rural Minnesota. He has been featured in Plein Air Magazine and Western Art Collector Magazine and he was the Featured Artist for the 2020 Southeastern Wildlife Expo. See his work at www.JasonTako.com and his demonstrations on his YouTube Channel.