by: Mikala Dawson
Many writers and artists struggle with confidence. It is intimidating to publish your work for others to see. The internet and social media allow anyone and everyone to see what you’ve created and either “fan girl” over it or subject it to the harshest of criticisms. The aim of this editorial is to share some confidence boosting tips I’ve gathered over the years and hopefully encourage you to submit to our magazine.
Developing the confidence to publish or submit your writing can be a challenge, but if you’re willing to put in the time you will see results. There are two BIG ways you can boost your confidence in your writing. The first solution is edit and re-write. The more time you spend writing something, the more ideas you develop on the subject. Always go back and re-read what you’ve written and look for improvement in your writing. The second solution, get a second opinion. I know sharing your work with others may seem daunting, but a fresh pair of eyes will see mistakes your eyes have been missing. If you don’t feel comfortable with that, a popular alternative is copying and pasting your writing into Google Translate and pressing play. Google will read out your writing and you can hear the more obvious mistakes you made out loud. One of the best ways I’ve found to help my confidence is editing and re-writing over and over again. I’m so insecure with my writing I often don’t want to share it with anyone for a second opinion.
Building confidence in your art work can be a bit tricky. It’s important to understand that no one will understand your art the same way you do. Criticism form others should be taken with a grain of salt. A solution to dwindling confidence in your art is to always practice new art styles. Getting out of your comfort zone and working with new styles and materials helps you build as an artist. This expansion in your abilities will naturally lead to more confidence in your art. I feel the best solution is remembering to always compare yourself to yourself. This way, you always win.
Confidence is important in everyday life. Without it, you cannot hope to achieve your goals. Magazines like Elektraphrog rely on submissions from writers and artist to create a catalog of new ideas that help inspire others. Without you there isn’t a magazine. So, take a chance and submit something, you may surprise yourself.