Why do we equate our artistic abilities with self worth?

Have you been in a situation where your child or peer has told you they’re unsatisfied with the artwork they’ve created? It’s normal to want to console them by saying, “No way! You’re artwork is totally awesome!”. Even as an art teacher, I find myself doing the same thing with my students. Don’t ask me why, but sometime in history we started tying our self worth to the art we create.

Equating artistic skill with self worth is so damaging to our creative process. Think about it; if you believe that when you make bad art you yourself are bad... how could you ever feel free to create uninhibited art?

Art is a skill that is built through practice, trying, failing, and trying again. I always ask my students, “How does someone get good at football? PRACTICE!”. Art is the same as any other skill. We don’t expect a quarterback to throw a perfect pass without warming up and practicing.

Why do we expect ourselves to create perfect art on our first try? Even worse, we quit if we don’t achieve that unattainable goal. Why do we do that? If you have the answer let me know because it's a mystery to me too!

Be the one to break this cycle. Next time your child tells you they don’t like their artwork, challenge them to dig deeper. Let them trust their intuition. It’s natural and healthy for your child to self-critique. Ask them “Why don’t you like your art? What would you change about it?”.

Encourage them to explore new ways to solve their problems. By questioning them, you’re giving them agency and self-confidence. With time and practice, they can transfer this skill to the other parts of their life. When they’re faced with difficulty, they can approach it with confidence and curiosity!

P.S. Have you ever described yourself as not creative? I challenge you to revisit that opinion! With a little practice, you might be the next Van Gogh!