Doubt

“If you hear a voice within you saying, ‘You are not a painter,’ then by all means paint, boy, and that voice will be silenced.” ~ Vincent van Gogh


Ever have the doubt that you're not a painter or an artist? Or that you can't do it?  It happens all the time.  In fact, I've been told that if you don't hear that voice, or doubt yourself, you're in trouble!  For there is always something to learn, something to help you grow in your craft.  Once we think we've made it, we've stagnated and that is not a good place for an artist or anyone to be.  I can't imagine staying with one thing within my work and becoming stagnant.  I'd get bored and I would fear that the work would become mediocre.
I think that doubt can be a good thing, something that we can embrace.  Doubt allows us to think about what we are doing, critically reviewing our work, our practice, and our process.  It gives us a gift, if you will, of being able to change ourselves into something better.  It definitely keeps us humble.  But, if doubt stops us in our tracks, then we can't allow the benefits of doubt to help us.  The beauty of doubt is that we can push through it and learn from it.  This doesn't mean that we can't be confident, for confidence can help lead us to new horizons for ourselves and our work.  We need it as artists since the rejection is high.   How we handle rejection can feed our practice and drive us to take our work to the next level.  So all of this doubt and rejection isn't a bad thing.  I know of artists who keep all of their rejection letters to help spur them onto bigger and better things.  It means that they're working and trying to go for it.  No guts, no glory as 'they' say.   
So this means that I'm learning to embrace the doubt as well as the rejections.  I don't think they'll ever stop and I guess I really don't want them to stop.  I want to keep growing as an artist.  I want to get better with each painting.  I don't want to quit.  So bring it on!  I'm ready!  
Take care, create, and enjoy!

Susan M Gibbons
Stirring 14
Acrylic on Canvas
40"by 60"by 1.5"

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