It’s been a couple of months since my last post, and during that time, I’ve had the joy of serving as a Community Guide for Leverage Your Art by Stacie Bloomfield. That experience, and the students I’ve been cheering on, reminded me just how important it is to trust your creative path, even when others can’t quite see what you see.
I’ve loved answering questions, offering feedback, and sharing what I’ve learned. But more than anything, my heart lights up when I can encourage a student who feels overwhelmed, discouraged, or alone in their dream.
Some of them aren’t getting a lot of support from the people closest to them. They have family or friends who love them, but don’t really understand what they’re trying to build. Comments start to slip in that sound like:
“Are you sure this is worth it?”
“People actually make money doing that?”
“Maybe you should focus on something more practical.”
I remember hearing versions of those same thoughts in my own head years ago. Back then, I didn’t have creative communities or online groups. It was just me, my ideas, and a quiet hope that maybe this could become something real someday.
That season, and what I see students walk through now, inspired this topic because it’s one of the most important lessons you can learn as an artist:
Learning to trust your creative path, even when others don’t fully get it.
Why some people don’t understand your creative path
Most people aren’t trying to discourage you on purpose.
Often they:
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Have never seen someone build a creative business before
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Are worried about you and think that “safe and predictable” is the only responsible option
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Don’t understand that creative work is real work
Sometimes their doubts are really their own fears talking. If they can’t imagine themselves doing what you’re doing, it can be hard for them to imagine you doing it too.
It can still hurt, especially when those voices come from people you love and respect. But their inability to see the path clearly doesn’t mean the path isn’t there.
Quiet signs that you’re actually on the right path
When outside voices get loud, it helps to notice the quieter signs that you’re moving in the right direction. They’re easy to overlook, but they matter.
Some of those signs might be:
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You keep coming back to your art, even after busy seasons or breaks
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You feel a sense of peace or alignment when you’re creating
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You’re willing to learn, experiment, and try again when something doesn’t work
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You feel a spark in your chest when you imagine what your future could look like
Progress isn’t always a big public milestone. Sometimes the most powerful moments are the small, unseen decisions you make in your studio or at your kitchen table:
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Sending one more pitch
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Uploading one more design
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Finishing one more portfolio page
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Saying, “I’m not giving up on this,” even if no one else is watching
Those quiet yeses to your creative path are evidence that you’re growing.
What to do when doubt creeps in
So what can you do in the middle of all this, when doubt from others starts to blend with doubt in your own mind?
Here are a few gentle steps that might help.
1. Separate their fear from your truth
When someone questions your path, pause and ask yourself:
“Is this about me, or is this about their fear of the unknown?”
You can care about their feelings and still choose not to carry their fear as your own.
2. Return to your why
Write down a simple answer to this question:
“Why is this creative work important to me?”
Keep it somewhere you’ll see it often. On the hard days, your why can be a lifeline back to the bigger picture.
3. Find supportive voices on purpose
If the people around you don’t understand your dream, it becomes even more important to surround yourself with those who do.
That might look like:
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A course community like Leverage Your Art
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A small group of artist friends you can message when you feel stuck
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Following artists and mentors who share honestly about their own journey
Supportive community doesn’t erase every challenge, but it reminds you that you’re not the only one walking this path.
4. Let your actions speak over time
You don’t have to convince everyone right away. You don’t have to have all the answers right now.
Sometimes the most powerful response is simply to keep going, to keep learning, improving, and taking one small step at a time. Over months and years, your consistency will say more than any long explanation ever could.
Your path is yours on purpose
If you’re reading this and feeling that familiar tension between what your heart knows and what others are saying, I want you to hear this:
Your creative path isn’t a mistake.
You were wired with a desire to make things, to bring beauty and meaning into the world, and to put something out there that wasn’t there before. That’s a gift.
Not everyone will understand it, and that’s okay.
Not everyone is meant to.
But you can still honor what’s true for you. You can give yourself permission to keep going, even if the support around you is imperfect or slow to catch up.
A gentle reflection for this week
If you’d like a small reflection to carry into your week, here’s a simple prompt to sit with in your journal:
“What is one way I can choose to trust my creative path this month, even if others don’t fully understand it yet?”
Your answer doesn’t have to be big or dramatic. It might be as simple as:
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Finishing one project
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Sending one email
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Signing up for one class
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Giving yourself one hour of studio time without guilt
You’re allowed to honor your creative calling in small, steady ways.
I’m cheering for you, right where you are. Keep creating, keep learning, and keep trusting the path that’s unfolding in front of you.
You’re not behind. You’re becoming. 💛