ArtShine: Tales My Mother Told Me... Tale 8: Confidence & Competence

Welcome to Tales my Mother told me...

Tale 8: Confidence & Competence

"When you have high level of competence in what you do

and the confidence to act on your ability...

you can succeed in any area you choose in your life"

- ArtSHINE

This tale started when I was in year nine at high school. Our school introduced public speaking as part of the English curriculum. At school, I was a shy student; I recall hardly ever putting my hand up even if I knew the answer to questions. Or if I did, my heart was pounding like I was going to have a heart attack, and my hands would also shake.

I also remember my very first public speaking assignment in my English class...We all had to pick a topic and be prepared to stand up the front of the class and speak for at least five minutes. After I got the assignment, I was so worried about how I was going to do the public speaking.

So I went home with such a look of stress on my face and told Mum about the public speaking assignment that I had to deliver in a weeks time

"What should I do mum, I am no good with public speaking. All my friends will see how nervous I am going to be and it will be so embarrassing" - I said quite distressed.

"Relax my little one, do you have a topic in mind that you want to present next week? Mum asked

“Yes I do, but I 'm so scared that my nervousness will kill my speech Mum" I said

"Public speaking is quite a challenge and the key to success is to know your topic well with lots of practice” Mum said.

"I will learn my script but I don't think my nerves will ever go away. I really wish I could do something about this" I said.

"Nervousness is part of us and there is nothing wrong being nervous. The reason you feel nervous is because you really care about what you’re going to present. You will feel those butterflies in your tummy and at times you will feel their movement stronger than at other times. The key is to keep them calm and comfortable so you can focus on your speech instead of your nerves. Remember your performance on the stage at the school show" Mum said with encouragement.

"Mum I was in kindergarten! I was a kid and I did not care what people think of me then, and I do now and this is a problem"

"You were so confident on the stage and wearing a cute little tie that your Dad & I bought especially for the show." Mum said proudly.

"Yes I was and it was fun to be on the stage. I wonder why I wasn't nervous then.... Why mum?" I was puzzled.

"You were confident because you know that song back to front. And remember how you loved that song? You used to just sing it day and night because you loved it so much... In anything we do, first we need to be competent and learn the work in order to give us the confidence to deliver the result." said Mum.

"Confidence & Competence... what a pair"

"That's right my little one. Your nerves can be put behind you. This will come with experience. And to do well you need to do practice regularly and you need to know your stuff" Mum said with a big smile.

Needless to say, she was right, practice, practice, practice was my strategy for that first speech of mine. Of course I was nervous, but by focusing on what I knew, I was able to deliver without a stumble, and without a hitch.

So, in life and in business, Confidence & Competence play a major part in what we do. To do well and to be happy with what we do, we need to acknowledge and accept who we are. To celebrate our strengths and acknowledge our weaknesses. After all, we’re all truly unique individuals.

Success in your Art & Design practices have everything do with you; how you feel, how you act, and how you embrace who you really are.

At ArtSHINE we talk with our clients about “Confidence and Competence”.

Here’s why...

As creative individuals we all have dreams and desires. And we set goals that relate to those dreams and desires. Perhaps it’s to become a successful artist or designer recognised in your particular field. One thing’s for sure; all creative people have one very common goal; to be successful in our own right and to be doing what it is that we love.

From our coaching experience we see two essential characteristics required in order to achieve our goals:

1 CONFIDENCE: our heartfelt belief in our ability to do a task, and

2 COMPETENCE: all our abilities, all our skills, experiences and knowledge that means we are capable to do a task.

In our work we have found creative professionals generally fall into one of three groups when it comes to competence and confidence...

Confident but lacks competence: - Confident and talented with a clear focus on art and design, but not fully competent in all the aspects of the design practice.

Competent but lacks confidence: - Uniquely talented with a passion for Art and Design with an understanding, ability, and appreciation of the multiple facets of a successful design practice. But lacking the self confidence to move beyond current experiences. Sometimes reliant on others to confirm talents. Has the ability yet lacks the confidence to take action. Therefore remains stuck and seldom achieve goals and dreams.

While successful creative professionals fall into this third category...

Confident and competent: - This is where we want you to be... Positive in your approach to your Art & Design practices. Confident in your ability to achieve what you want, and actively working towards your goals. Understanding of what it takes to be good at what you do, and grateful for both your strengths and weaknesses. Constantly challenging yourself, learning new skills to get better within yourself, and in your Business LifeStyle.

So, to achieve our goals and be successful, the first step it to achieve competence. Build the necessary skills and knowledge you need in your Art & Design practice. And that’s not just about the Art and Design... It’s about your ability to "deliver the whole package".

Just as critical is your belief and having the confidence in yourself to take action. To have the confidence to do everything that’s necessary, to do what you know, to use your talent and your skills to the best of your ability.

The really good news is that both confidence and competence can be developed over time through learning, experiencing and gaining knowledge.

When you have a high level of competence in your particular area and you have the confidence to act on your ability... you can succeed in any area you choose in your life.

More Tales My Mother Told Me...

Volume 1:

Tale 1: "When You Help One, You Help Thousands"

Tale 2: "Your Mind is Powerful"

Tale 3: "The Importance of Self Understanding"

Tale 4: "Being Compassionate"

Tale 5: "Finding the Inner Calmer In You"

Tale 6: "The Magic Pen"

Tale 7: "Here comes the Fair- Weather Friend"

Tale 8: "Confidence & Competence"

Tale 9:"Being Present"

Tale10: "Chicken scratches for what it gets"

Tale 11:"I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done"
Tale 12: "Frog In The Well"