Artist Anxiety? The 3 Words That Changed Everything

There are three words that help guide artists on their journey. I’m going to share them with you today.

1. Faith

Most artists suffer from anxiety — myself included. There never seems to be enough time. There never seems to be enough money. There never seems to be enough support. But when a friend pointed out that the opposite of anxiety is faith, it felt as if my whole world shifted.

I’ll say it again so you can get it too: the opposite of anxiety is faith.

Our responses are choices. And it’s our choices that determine the quality of our lives. Circumstances count, yes. But when you find yourself repeating the mantra of not enough — choose faith instead. When you find yourself saying no to your heart’s desire, choose faith instead. Your heart’s desire was given to you for a reason. Believe in it. Have faith in the creative spark — that part of you that calls itself an artist. After all, that’s really the best and most authentic part of you, isn’t it.

2. Grace

Sometimes life kicks our ass. But when we lose battles, we can choose to release the sting of defeat. We can focus instead on what has meaning — on what those setbacks taught us, on what we’ve learned. That’s grace. When you release expectations and obligations and even guilt, there’s a wonderful feeling of freedom — freedom as you return to yourself. That’s grace.

When you walk in faith, when you connect with and believe in the truest part of yourself, you’re a lot more graceful. I love how the word grace is also related to that most powerful of words — gratitude. grace happens when we can look back at our hardships as gifts and feel grateful for them.

But grace also speaks of creativity and the gifts that artists are given — that we are graced with. When we work in the flow, we most certainly feel grace. And for artists, there’s no higher aspiration, is there.

Part of being an artist is taking risks and falling down. Failure and rejection are occupational hazards for creatives. But working artists dust themselves off, pick up their sword or brush or pen or camera, and courageously connect once more to what has meaning. That’s grace.

And then it happens — through a strange coincidence, you meet someone. The client you’ve been dreaming about. The support you’ve been asking for. The opportunity you never imagined would come through. Is it coincidence? I don’t believe so. It’s grace. Amazing grace.

3. Joy

Joy is the sum of walking in faith — knowing who you are — and grace — being who you are. And when you add gratitude to the equation, you can’t help but feel joy.

Joy comes from being more of yourself. Being able to experience your own true nature more deeply. Making authentic connection on every level. That’s why making art brings us such joy — because when we engage with making meaningful work, we’re connecting with the truest and deepest part of our spirit. Can you think of anything more joyful than that?

So throw off the shackles of anxiety and choose faith. As you walk in faith toward the deeper authenticity that you are, you walk with grace. This will bring you joy.

Faith. grace. Joy. Let these three words guide you as you walk the artist journey.

Written by Crista Cloutier, artist mentor + founder of The Working Artist. (learn more about Crista here)