Last week I was attending a film festival where two of my friends had films being screened.
I ended up speaking with some of the other artists and was inspired by their stories and the art they’d created.
I think part of what inspired me the most was the fact that for a lot of them, including my friends, it was their first film.
Here they were, no one famous (yet!), fully believing and betting on themselves and their creativity and putting it out into the world - waiting for no one else’s permission.
And while standing in line getting ready to capture pictures of my friend on the red carpet, she suggested that I just walk the carpet as well.
I argued that I didn’t have a film there and she firmly told me that I was an actor, I looked great and deserved to be on the carpet and that it was a manifestation of things to come.
Not wanting to continue arguing with a Taurus, I got on there, surrounded by other artists, having not one person question me, and I felt completely at home (side note, make sure you have friends with this level of support and confidence lol).
I was totally in my element and in that moment it really struck me how critical building creative confidence is for ourselves and our art - whatever it may be - and how equally important it is to have people surrounding you rooting you on.
One of the artists I ended up talking to described their film to me as a “horror dance musical short about grief” and when I asked if I could see a trailer for it, their eyes lit up and they excitedly sent me a link.
When I got home and watched it, despite not really knowing him, I felt very proud of him; I felt proud that he created this thing that is now out in the world changing how people might relate to grief.
And I reflected on how beautiful it was that him and the hundreds of people involved in that film festival, my brilliant friends included, took a chance on their art.
Took a chance on their ideas.
Believed in their creativity.
Took action on their creativity.
And that’s really the intention of The Everyday Artist 11 Day Creativity Challenge: ground into yourself with emotional regulation, ground into your creative flow / practice through community and tangible, consistent action and build your creative confidence.