Book #26
Think Like an Artist
By Will Gompertz
Lack of Confidence in Creative People
It is ironic that a lot of creative people suffer from a lack of confidence and imposter syndrome- since creative fields have some of the lowest standards of entry. You don’t need to pass a test to be a song writer. You don’t have to prove your skills to be a painter. You just do it.
Therefore, these fields should have the most confident people in them. Nobody outside of themself can tell them that they don’t belong. You are a writer because you write. You are a painter because you paint. Not because anybody buys your books or exhibits your art. You are still a writer or a painter even if nobody else likes or appreciates your work.
Besides, how many people are “business owners” or “entrepreneurs” and their bank accounts are in the red? They never try to downplay themselves or their field by saying “I just sell things” or “I own a store, but it is just a hobby”. Success takes time in any field.
In contrast, doctors or pilots can only hold these positions if society tells them that they are qualified. Ironically, since creative fields are the ones that require the least amount of external feedback in order to qualify to be that thing, that means we are left to ourselves to determine that. And we can be our own worst critics.
Growing Your Voice & Confidence
Confidence is the greatest currency in creativity. And one of the ways it is grown is by just doing the thing. At the beginning of my blogging journey, I could barely write to express myself. Now I cannot stop myself.
I write and edit for several hours a day and have written 70,000 words in less than five months. I went from someone who didn’t tell anyone that she had a blog, to someone who told a few close friends, to someone who calls herself a “blogger”.
At the beginning, when someone asked me what I did during the weekend, I said “Oh, nothing”. Then I thought: why did I just say that? I was so busy writing and editing all weekend and I am really happy with what I produced. I wasn’t doing “nothing”. I was quite busy, and yet I never thought to say that.
Now when someone asks me what I am doing these days, I say that I have been writing. My self-esteem still needs to catch up with my honesty, though. I still feel like someone needs to hand me a writing participation trophy in order for me to call myself a writer.
Example: The Use of Writing in Society
I think part of the reason I am slow to say this is because I am used to seeing writing as a means to an end. Even when you say “I am writing a report” the emphasis is on the report. People will then ask you what the report is for or about.
In creativity, you don’t always know these things at the outset. It reveals itself through the process; like a painting. Sometimes you do not know what the canvas will end up looking like. You just start.
It is a very different mentality than I am used to but I think it is essential for innovation. It asks more questions and lets the answers decide the next move.
So, when Gompertz argues that all schools should be art schools, I think there is something to that. Helping people expand their imagination and giving them the confidence to pursue their creativity are essential for success in many fields. That is the difference between someone saying sheepishly “I spend my time writing” and saying confidently “I am a writer”.
And so, I am a writer because I write. What are you?
Messy Bun Book Lover
(Originally posted on July 17, 2025)
For another post regarding this book see: Failure Vs. Mistakes
Read Think Like an Artist by Will Gompertz → https://amzn.to/46XpkQ3
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