Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Inner Artistry

Posted on June 15, 2017 by Sangeeta D, One of Thousands of Health and Fitness Coaches on Noomii.

Hello fellow Artists,

Ok let’s face it – being an Artist is hard work. No one ever willingly signs up for the rejection and not-so-always-nice criticism that comes with it. However, remember that you are one of the lucky ones. Yes, that’s right – I said “lucky”. Why? Because you get to be a creator! Whether you sing, dance, write, draw or even make balloon animals, you are in your own right an Artist and I say that with a capital “A”, because I believe it is an important title that you should be grateful for and also humbled by. When someone calls me an “Artist”, it gives me a nice tingly feeling like in the same way a compliment would, and I hope it does for you too. If maybe not yet, then hopefully by the end of this post you will find a new found gratitude for your inner Artist and fall in love with that side of you all over again.

Growing up, I used to have a tough time at times accepting all the things that made me different, from my accent to the sound of my voice, my not-so-quite “what is she?” South Asian looks and the fact that I always had a passion for music, art and performing.

However, as I got older I realized these are my strengths and not my weaknesses.

Here are 10 Ways you can improve your Inner Artistry:

1. Don’t Be Afraid to Stand Out: Growing up and going through high school, we were all made to believe that we have to fit in to survive. However, that is a lie my friends. The real truth is that standing out is the way to go. Look at it from this perspective – there will only ever be one you, why not celebrate that? Breathe that in for a second – there will only ever be one version of you. Wow! Now that’s pretty cool and if that doesn’t make you feel pretty special already, then read on… If you are a creative soul and you are afraid to stand out, then perhaps you don’t really want to be an Artist. The beautiful thing about being artsy is the fact that you get to be a leader, you get to perform, you get to stand out in the crowd and you get to shine. Being a wall flower will not get you there. So, don’t be afraid to embrace yourself, because the minute you do, flaws and all, is when you will grow your confidence, learn more about yourself and naturally as a result, others will start to notice.

2. Devote Time to Yourself: The longest relationship we have in life is the one we build with ourselves. Sorry to sound cliche, but it is true that you cannot love others until you love yourself. Taking “me” time is crucial on your step towards becoming a better & more confident Artist. The Arts & Entertainment industry is anything but easy and there will be people left right and centre trying to tell you what to do, what to say, what to think and what to feel. However, you don’t have to fall victim to this and one way to do that is to really get to know yourself. Once you do this, you will be stronger in yourself and know exactly what you like, don’t like, how you feel and what you feel comfortable doing or not doing. This is important for not just Artists, but anyone. Take yourself out on a date; go for a walk, have coffee, go shopping, watch a movie and fall in love with yourself. Do all the things you love and you will see your relationship with yourself flourish.

3. Visualize: Visualizing is a fun and safe way to get creative for free! It is all about envisioning where you see yourself and where you want to go in your mind, kind of like watching a movie of your future. Do you want to be on a large stage selling out stadiums, or do you maybe want to perform in a cosy cafe full of warm and friendly faces? Do you want to fix that tricky part of the dance choreography, but can’t quite get that jump move as high as you would like? Do you maybe want to envision your dream car or dream home? Get visualizing – it is the same idea as we hear about in the book “The Secret” and it can make a tremendous impact on pursuing and achieving your goals. Did you know that when you visualize yourself doing something, whether it’s running, dancing or moving in general, that your brain engages the exact same muscles it would need for that same activity in reality? Powerful stuff!

4. Stay Positive: We are surrounded by negativity from the news and media at times, but we have the power to change that. You are in control of you and if you don’t want to be exposed to that, or anything negative in fact, then turn it off, starting with the news on the TV (if you so wish). Imagine how destructive these things can be to the mindset of a creative soul. In regards to our last step, visualizing can also encourage you to focus on positive things, thoughts and feelings. The energy we send out into the world is contagious and whatever we think or believe can be reflected into the universe and get sent back to us. So surround yourself with positive people, with your passions and interests, with music, with art, and inspiration. This will ignite further positivity in your soul and you will feel even better.

5. Believe in Yourself: Yes, Justin Bieber and his little “Beliebers” were right – we have all heard it before, but it makes sense – an Artist that is positive in their attitude and believes in themselves is likely to go further than one that doesn’t. The world of performing is hard enough, and we don’t need to make it harder by being cruel to ourselves and doubting our abilities. You have to learn how to become your best friend and your number one supporter and well wisher. There will be a handful of people who will make the road to success, however you define it, tough. However, when you have a vision, stay positive, know where you’re going and believe in yourself and your abilities, then you are going places my friend.

6. Stop Copying Others: It’s natural that perhaps when we are inspired by something or someone that we wish to become like them. Remember however, though it’s good to be inspired by others who you look up to, whether that’s your favourite dancer, singer or actor etcetera, by copying others to the “tee” you are doing yourself a disservice and them also. You end up forgetting how unique and different you are and you end up forgetting that there are also incredible things you can do that perhaps no one else can, in the way that you can. There is a difference between being influenced and inspired by someone or something and imitating it. Also, copying is just distasteful and shows no effort or true artistry. Artists are trendsetters, they are not afraid to be different and not afraid to start new ideas. To be a true Artist, developing your own flare at doing things is key.

7. Don’t Give Up: As I said earlier, being artistic, though it is fun, is also tough and it is not for everyone. However, success, whether that means filling a stadium, writing a complete song, learning a guitar, performing in a sold out international venue etc… it can all be within reach, but the trick is you need to keep going. Often people give up right before their big break is perhaps around the corner and they have no idea until they are just left wondering, “What if… “? Now, that is a crippling way to live, so if you are passionate about your craft and can’t go a day without thinking about it, pursue it whole heartedly. If you stay consistent, determined and persevere you will reach your goals one step at a time. If someone says something negative, it can be way too easy to just get disheartened and want to give up on your dream, but remember, you deserve success. You deserve to fulfil your dreams and your dream deserves to see it come to life. Don’t let one bad apple or sour grape ruin it for you. There will be people that may not like you, or what you do, but there will be thousands more who do. As they say, the only way to fail is to not try.

8. Have an Attitude of Gratitude: Remember how I talked about visualization? Well, similarly in a vision we are focusing on positive things, thoughts and ideas. Carrying a thankful heart and spirit also encourages further positivity in life and attracts more of what you are grateful for. Take 5-10 minutes a day either in the morning or at night, or whenever convenient for you, to be thankful for everything. This can range from being thankful for the freedom to pursue your dreams, to the wonderful people in your life, to the little things which mean so much like having an artistic soul, to being able to hear, sing, write, read, see, walk, to even getting the chance to live and pursue your dreams and experience life, and so many other things we might take for granted. Try writing down what you are grateful for in a journal on your iPad or by hand and witness the further positive things that come into your world.

9. Take Your Time: We live in such a fast paced society and we are so used to everything being speedy, that we forget to breathe, enjoy the moment and take our sweet time. Good art takes time and excellent art takes even longer. Don’t rush what you want to create, put your heart and soul into it day by day and then when you feel you can add no more, you know you are ready to release it. We are usually so hard on ourselves that we can rush a good opportunity, such as learning a musical instrument (we might give up too soon), rehearsing for a performance and rushing it instead of enjoying it, rushing through a songwriting session just for the sake of completing a song and even rushing through a meal. While you might be able to complete some tasks off during your day, none of these things are perhaps as productive as you would think without the proper time and care they need. In fact, that might be bringing your quality as an Artist down. Imagine your favourite Artists or inspirational person who is considered an expert and now imagine them doing their job half heartedly. It wouldn’t be quite the same right and they likely wouldn’t be as successful. Bottom line: Don’t rush, be patient and allow yourself the time you need to nurture your art work or a project. If others try to unnecessarily rush you and your craft outside of a professional scheduled timeframe, then consider regrouping. Remember, the real happiness and beauty lies in the journey, not the destination.

10. Know Your Strengths & Prioritize: As creative beings, we might feel tempted to put our hands in numerous baskets. Hey, there is nothing wrong with having multi passions or interests, but make sure you devote proper time to each one and also know what your strengths are. For example, I could make lots of money as an accountant or a maths professor, but math is not my forte. Intact, I quite dislike math LOL So, that’s not happening. However, I know that my strengths lie in singing, dancing, coaching, writing etcetera and therefore those are what I focus on. If I am running a successful business and I have a certain strength in a certain area, I am going to focus on that and delegate what I am not so good at to other people I can trust to do those tasks better than I can. Also, it is important to know your personality type and a great way to do this is to ask friends and family around you what they think your strengths are. This will really help you to see how others see you, but more importantly remind you to not be so hard on yourself, and to focus on your best qualities. Are you a warm, polite and friendly individual? This is a great way to help you infuse your personality into all you do. Perhaps you dance really well and are good at choreographing dance pieces. Perhaps you are talented at producing beats, or even maybe you’re skilled at memorizing lines. Whatever it is, know what your strengths are, prioritize time to practice at them and that’s how they will become stronger.

Congratulations! You now know the Top 10 Tips on How to Improve at Your Inner Artistry. Everyone really is an Artist at heart, but we all just have different ways of expressing it.

Own It, Envision It, Pursue It and Don’t look back. Keep going :) Stay tuned for more great tips coming soon.

Much Love for reading.

Your Holistic Health Coach,

Sangeeta :)