If you are asking yourself this question, the chances that you are creative are high enough. The thing is that creative work itself often is about exploring the unexplored. The lack of clear path can frequently be the reason of self-questioning.
Recently, I spoke with a fellow designer who is always anxious about his work. This anxiety makes him one of the most creative people I know. His anxiety isn’t intentional. You couldn’t make this up, and you wouldn’t even think to try.
If you polish your work because you feel like an imposter, that’s a sign. If you hear negative feedback and fear it’s the end of your career, take note. If you compare yourself to others, believing they are the real creatives, congratulations—you are a creative person.
Creative people are curious. They ask questions. They regularly overthink. In this bowl of thoughts, they have the ability to catch fresh ideas for their work. It’s like a brainstorming session, but they can do it all alone. Receiving information from the various sources, they can mix things up in a good way.
I don’t usually consider myself a creative person. And I don’t know many who would label themselves as such either. Yet, I often engage with creativity and often grapple with doubts and unproductive overthinking. During a recent call with a fellow designer, I recalled what has helped me gain more confidence in my work. I’m confident it can help you too.
Pitch your ideas and projects to other creative, like-minded individuals!
For example, we once had a project that originated from a friend’s desire to help people find peace. Together, we developed a concept for urban spaces offering yoga, meditations, and lectures. Spaces designed to bring calm to the chaos of city life.
My confidence in my ideas grew after I involved a good friend with his agency. He took on the task of naming and branding. After reviewing my suggestions, he chose one he thought was perfect. It was good from his expertise, I was not sure. Later, I explained the concept of these spaces as serene voids amidst urban clutter to the designer. My idea was to create emptiness that could contain calming mediums when needed.
The team liked this concept as well, and their enhancements made it feel complete. In result, this project almost made the shortlist at the Kyiv International Advertising Festival. We missed out by a few votes, but the recognition was a huge validation of my creative concept.
Still. I’m thankful to Dmitry from Duck Soup and Radu, who embraced and enriched my idea until the very end. Because of them, we not only created something valuable, but I felt like my ideas worth something.
Hey, I encourage you to share your ideas with like-minded people too. Not only will it boost your confidence, but you’ll also gain support and fresh perspectives on your original concept.
You are creative, don’t forget to remind yourself about it sometimes.
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