Confidence is a con / Austin Kleon + Nicholas Wilton

It seems like everyone always wants to feel more confident. We are told that this comes from experience and just putting in the time. But what if confidence isn’t what is needed so much in art making?

Join me in conversation with Austin Kleon, best selling author of “Steal Like an Artist,” writer, artist, and fellow explorer of life, as he throws out the idea that confidence shouldn’t be where we put our focus.

Check this out. It might just make you feel a lot better about where you are now in your art.

Have a look here:

I want you to watch this week’s vlog, so I will only tell you a couple of things.

Here it goes:

#1 Confidence is a con.

#2 If you must build confidence, relegate it to the process of what you are making, not so much the outcome.

#3 The possibility for making something worthwhile increases if your “head is fed, your heart is full, and your hands are busy.”

That’s it — if that doesn’t get you to listen to this conversation, then I am not sure what will.

After you watch, let me know in the comments.

How much confidence do you need to make your art?

Austin has a fabulous weekly newsletter of all the books, insights, art, writing, and ideas he has waded through the previous week. It is hard to find the time to explore as much as we should but getting Austin’s fabulous newsletter is a great start.

Sign up for his newsletter, order his books and other cool stuff at www.austinkleon.com.

The sculptor, John T Unger, who Austin mentions, creates elemental and beautifully wild sculptures.

Look here: www.johntunger.com

I will be giving a few of Austin’s books away next week to a few commenters, so let Austin and I know your thoughts below.

I hope you dive into something new and unexplored in the studio.

Nicholas

PS For those of you who are new here, sign up for the Free 2021 Art2Life Workshop that starts February 15th. It could be a game-changer for your art. www.artlifefree.com