kazoo-goddess:

squigglydigglydoo:

And legit, how do you think it comes across to the other person when you introduce yourself or something you’ve made as “utter shite?”  Do you think that makes me WANT to talk to you or look at what you’ve made?  Cuz the first impression you’ve given me is not a positive one.

There’s a MASSIVE difference between humility and self-degradation.

Learn that difference.

As someone who has had/still does have major self confidence issues, I have to agree with this statement – unfortunately, no one is going to want to tolerate you putting yourself down, even if you’re doing it to be humble. It’s something that has to be worked on; it’s a difficult process, and you won’t always believe what people tell you/the things you end up saying, but if you don’t try, you’ll never move past it!

Though it’s a hard cycle to break, I can offer a few tips having been there myself (and sometimes still being there, heck):

When someone compliments you/your work, don’t disagree – instead of starting with how negative you feel about it, thank them. And if the next thing you’re going to say is something bad about your work, just stop after the thank you! You’ll get way farther that way.

Take time to find the things you DO like about your own work, and focus on them. It doesn’t have to be something big. Just find the one detail about it you like, no matter how small, and remind yourself “This is the area where I did a good job!” It’s okay to feel proud of the things you create.

Remember that it’s okay to get it wrong! Practice makes perfect in all art forms – and even in this. If you do accidentally fall back into that habit of saying “this is terrible/I’m terrible/what I make is terrible,” that’s okay! Just try and correct yourself, and keep moving forward.

I know no one asked me, but listen. I know what I’m talking about here – literally five minutes ago, I made the same mistake of showing someone something and starting with “I know it’s awful” – but you have to remember that that’s a horrible way of making a first impression and try to reel it in! So I corrected myself, we laughed it off, and they enjoyed my work without issue.

Just try your best! Practice with yourself, and remember that you’re your own worst critic.