Fear is waiting…
It’s right behind you, waiting, looking for an opportunity to kill..what is it?
FEAR
How many of us have held back from doing something because of fear? I imagine the answer with few exceptions is every one of us.
Take for example actually starting to write this blog! How many times have I put it off? How many times have I found something more “important” to do? Why?
FEAR
Fear can paralyse. Fear can kill initiative. Fear can quash creativity.
For me setting out to paint and particularly to sell my paintings the biggest barrier was, still is and will probably continue to be, fear.
I absolutely love painting but I often find myself coming up with excuses not to put brush to canvas. Fear is telling me not to bother, to play it safe.
“I don’t have time.”
“I’m not in the mood.”
“I have to wash my hair.” (not that I have that much anymore)
Then there is the voice of fear chattering away in the background
“But there are so many artists out there who are so much better than me.”
“Who am I to think that I can sell my paintings?”
“What if no one likes my paintings?”
“What if I don’t sell anything?”
“What if I fail?”
Irrational you might argue but the voice of fear can be very strong.
Don’t get me wrong, fear can be a positive emotion at times. Proper fear is actually a safeguard. For example we might say; “I won’t get too close to the edge of this cliff because it’s a long drop to the rocks at the bottom!” Fear in certain situations can help us to focus fully on the task at hand – think of driving on a narrow, dark road on a wet night. A measure of fear in that situation makes you proceed with sensible caution and absolute focus knowing what is potentially at stake.
But fear can also be a negative emotion that can stop us from doing things we love or trying new things.
What is fear hindering you from doing? How can fear be put in it’s proper place so to speak?
I want to share some things that I have found helpful in my next post.
I would really enjoy hearing your comments on the subject of fear.
How true Brendan! Analyzing things in my life I can see that fear of not succeeding is behind so many of my decisions. Fear of commitment, fear of failure, fear of man, even in small ways. It becomes a habit that we live by at times, giving up before we’ve even started.
Thank you for your comments they have encouraged me to be more positive. Belief in self has always been a struggle for me but I’m going to try to put that behind me and stretch forward.
Love your beautiful drawings too. You are so talented hope you sell a heap!
Regards,
Julie
Thanks for those kind words Julie. I agree that it can become a habit that impacts on a lot of things. I’ll be interested to see if any of the things that help me (the subject of my next post) will be of assistance to you.
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