If You’re the Beginning Stages, It’s Normal to Feel Like a Failure
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Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
I painted an ugly dog the other day. I certainly didn’t expect my pet portrait to be a masterpiece, but it turned out much differently than I had hoped and I was disappointed and discouraged by the results.
Those feelings of disappointment and discouragement lingered the next morning, and I couldn’t help wondering, Is it even possible for me to become a truly skilled artist? Will I ever be able to create the kind of animal portraits I long to paint?
FEELINGS OF FAILURE
I feel silly admitting this, but I turned to Google for reassurance (I guess I was desperate, haha). After typing “how to become a great watercolor painter” into the search bar, I clicked on an article by Angela Fehr titled “How to Be Self-Taught Using the 4 Stages of Development in Watercolor.” In it, she shared a list of challenges painters may face in the early stages of their development. I could relate to several, but one in particular jumped out at me: “Discouragement and feelings of failure. You're beginning to wonder, ‘Why try?’”
This is a depressing-sound challenge, but reading this was actually a relief because it reminded me that feelings of doubt and discouragement are to be expected.
Learning a new skill is almost never easy, and the work we produce in the early stages of our journey is usually not great. But that’s just part of the process. Most great artists started out by creating ugly paintings, and if I want to learn to paint like them, I’m going to have to do what they did: keep painting ugly dogs (or landscapes, or birds, or whatever they started off painting).
The truth is, the more I practice, the more my skill will grow, and I trust that if I keep at it, someday I will be painting animals that I’m proud of.
EMBRACING THE BEGINNING STAGES
How about you? Are you learning a new skill or have you recently taken on a new role? Do you feel awkward and unhappy with your performance or the work you’re producing?
If so, keep in mind that these feelings are normal when we’re first starting out. The important thing is that we don’t let these feelings stop us from pressing on and developing our skills. If God has prompted you to do something, it matters, and He’ll be faithful to help you accomplish all He has for you.
So, I encourage you to keep persevering in whatever you’ve been called to do. And if today that means painting an ugly dog, writing a rambling article, or baking a bland cake…that’s okay! Of course, we do want to develop our abilities and learn to produce excellent work because that is one way we can bring glory to God.
But as Angela Fehr reminded me, we develop skills in stages, and it’s okay to be in the beginning stages. It’s okay for things to be messy and uncomfortable. Together, let’s do our best to accept this truth and enjoy the journey!
As always, you are in my thoughts and prayers, and I’d love to hear from you! You can contact me here or through the comment section below!
In purpose and faith,
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