Creative Confidence : Find yours
Have you ever told yourself, “I’m just not creative”? Maybe a teacher, a peer, or even your own doubts made you believe that creativity was for someone else. The truth? Creativity isn’t a special gift for a chosen few—it’s a skill, and like any skill, it can be nurtured and grown.
Here’s how a simple process of “guided mastery” can help you rediscover your creative confidence and start tackling challenges in school, life, and beyond.
Overcoming the Fear of Judgment
Many of us stop being creative because we fear judgment—whether it’s a bad grade, a laugh from a classmate, or simply a voice in our heads saying, “That’s terrible.” But creativity isn’t about instant perfection. It’s about trying, failing, and trying again.
Imagine a snake phobia, where step-by-step exposure leads to confidence in handling snakes. Creativity works the same way. Small steps—like sketching an idea, solving a problem, or working on a class project—can help you feel comfortable with taking risks.
Building Creative Confidence
Psychologist Albert Bandura calls this process self-efficacy, or the belief that you can achieve what you set out to do. Just like a student overcoming fear, you can break creative challenges into small, manageable steps. For example:
Start by brainstorming ideas without judgment.
Share one small idea with a teacher or friend.
Keep refining and testing that idea.
Over time, these “mini-wins” lead to big breakthroughs, helping you see yourself as creative and capable.
Stories That Inspire: Doug’s MRI Adventure
Doug Dietz, a designer of MRI machines, had a crisis moment when he saw how frightened children were of his medical equipment. Instead of giving up, Doug used design thinking to reimagine the MRI experience as an adventure. He painted the machines like pirate ships and trained staff to make scans fun. The result? Kids weren’t just calm—they were excited to come back.
Doug’s story shows that creativity isn’t about huge leaps; it’s about empathy, observation, and small changes that make a big impact.
How You Can Start Today
Identify a Challenge: Whether it’s a school project or a community problem, start small.
Ask Questions: What could make this better? How might you solve it?
Take One Step: Sketch, write, or prototype your idea—don’t worry if it’s perfect.
Celebrate Progress: Every step forward is a win.
This article was written and inspired by this TED Talk