Overcoming 3 Very Common Limiting Beliefs
We’re just beginning week 4 of my Pattern Design Academy program. This is when the rubber meets the road and some students start to think about giving up.
Here are the 3 most common reasons and how you can bust through them to keep moving forward. Now is not the time to give up!
#1 I’m just not tech savvy
Learning surface design requires mastering Adobe Illustrator. Illustrator is a beast! However, it’s also an incredible program and, once mastered, will open up an endless stream of possibilities for you to get your artwork out in the world on products of all kinds. Be patient with yourself. It’s like learning a foreign language and that takes time, patience, repetition and perseverance.
I like to remind my students that it’s a computer program. You can’t approach it in a scattered manner. You need to be disciplined and follow the steps required to achieve a certain outcome. It’s not going to change – it’s a computer program LOL - so you have to be willing to change yourself in terms of your willingness to follow directions and a step by step process. Don’t fight it. You’ll make progress more quickly if you slow down and follow the steps.
#2 I’m not in control of my time
This one comes up no matter what’s happening around us. Right now, circumstances continue to change every day. Businesses are trying to figure out what the “new normal” is for their employees. If you’ve been working from home, perhaps you’re going to be asked to return to the office.
We’re entering the summer and kids are out of school. They’re home with us already since most schools moved to virtual learning months ago. But now they may not be able to go off to camp or other summer vacation activities so you’ll have to adapt again and figure things out.
But everyone can find 15 minutes. I’m serious. You can find 15 minutes and that’s more than the average length of one of the lessons in my Academy program. With 15 minutes, you can watch a video lesson and start practicing the technique. Or if you prefer, you can watch the video lesson, take some notes and then come back later to practice the technique.
Every little bit counts. Baby steps forward eventually lead to walking and running!
#3 I have too many/not enough ideas
I love this one because creative people may fall into one or the other of these categories. You may have a ton of ideas and be what Marie Forleo calls a “multi-passionate” creative. And that’s a blessing not a curse. You may need to corral them a bit by writing them down so you don’t forget them. Then celebrate the fact that you never run out of ideas and embrace that with joy.
On the other hand, you may feel like it’s all been done before so your work won’t be unique or you fear that your creativity will dry up and you’ll run out of ideas. I wrote a blog post called In A Creative Slump? 4 Ways to Turn It Around about how to refill your well of creativity when you hit a dry spell. Go check it out if you haven’t already.
No matter what you’re working on right now, these limiting beliefs can enter your mind. I hope my suggestions for how to push past them are helpful.
Remember,
It’s Never Too Late to Create
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MEET ANNE
Hi…I’m Anne!
My creative inspiration comes from a lifetime of observation. I grew up in Paris on the Place St. Sulpice and walked to school through the Luxembourg gardens. And that was only the beginning… Learn more by watching the video on my About page.
