How to Stop Doubting Yourself and Start Creating at a High Level

Breaking the mental patterns that hold creatives back

I’m assuming if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably doubted yourself more than you’ve actually counted on yourself when you needed it the most. This isn’t unusual; it’s just the truth. It’s easier for a person to think negatively than to think positively; that’s just the reality. One thing I want you to know is that if you can learn and adopt the principles of really channeling the way you think, you can ultimately accomplish anything.

What’s interesting is that most people don’t actually think with intention about where they’re going in their life or what they want for themselves. They tend to just go through the motions and do what everyone else is doing for the most part. But if you’re reading this, I’m sure you’re a creative who’s not looking to just fit in and live your life the way everyone around you was taught to. You’re someone who wants to go places in your life.

Whether you’re a writer, designer, photographer, or filmmaker, you’re probably looking to build your entire life around your dream, not only to sustain you financially but also to fulfill you purposefully. I’m going to show you exactly how my life changed as a filmmaker once I began to rewire my brain to eliminate self-doubt and really learn how to think not only positively but creatively. Here’s how it showed up in my filmmaking, and here’s how you can apply it to your creative life.

Keeping your vision and goals to yourself

I think the most natural thing to want to do is tell everyone about your plans, your career, and what you want to do with your life. I think we do this because we’re looking to be not only seen but validated in the eyes of those around us. But there’s something very wrong with this picture. I realized it firsthand in my own life as a filmmaker, way back before I had millions of people watching my content. When you share everything about what you’re building and creating, it’s easy for people to think you’re crazy and that you should be more “realistic with your life.” I heard that term more than you know, and it always got me a little choked up each time I heard it, because my heart really wanted to go after what I loved, but it felt unrealistic because of the people around me who doubted it and told me otherwise.

It’s easy to believe that maybe they’re right and that maybe you shouldn’t go after your dreams. Because when you have big aspirations and dreams of where you want to go, a lot of times you’ll have no idea in the beginning how you’ll accomplish it. You just know in your heart that it’s the thing you want to do and achieve.

But here’s what changed everything for me when I figured out how my mind really worked. If you understand what I’m about to say right now, your entire creative life will change.

As long as I kept my goals and dreams to myself, I started to have a real sense of self-belief that couldn’t be stirred, and soon my dreams and reality started to become very real.

What you focus your attention on and how you see yourself is going to determine everything about your creative career. I’ve come to find out that what you picture in your mind truly comes to pass over time.

What I realized is that the less people know, the better. I used to have a poster on my wall with a quote I’d written by hand from Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich:

Tell the world what you intend to do, but first show it.

What you’ll notice when you start living this way mentally is that not only is your creative career going to skyrocket, but you as a person are going to attract the right people and opportunities. By constantly thinking positively, you become magnetic wherever you go.

No matter how excited I became about where I was heading or what I was building, I never forgot those words. I always kept them before me and lived my life this way. You see, real creativity and a real authentic aura can’t be faked. People can try by being the loudest person in the room, always trying to be seen, but there’s something far greater within someone who never feels the need to talk about themselves and just lives humbly. These are the people that everyone is naturally drawn to, because they have a presence that’s so alive and real you can’t ignore them. Have you ever noticed someone who just seems to be liked by everyone, anywhere they go? People naturally gravitate toward them, not because they’re loud or trying to be seen, but because they can literally walk into a room and make people smile and brighten people’s day. This is what happens when a person has a strong aura, and what you’ll notice is that many highly creative people who’ve learned the power of high-level thinking have this about them.

What to do when doubt shows back up

I’d be lying if I said I never experience doubt at this point in my career. Anyone in life will still have it at times, no matter how successful they become. It just becomes less frequent, and you become a lot more skilled at eliminating it quickly.

Doubt will usually occur as one negative thought that soon spirals into hundreds of more thoughts very quickly, and before you know it, your day feels pretty heavy. You get stressed and usually end up having a pretty bad day. Sound familiar?

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. There are a few antidotes to keep your thoughts positive rather than negative. The first one is to physically move your body through some form of resistance training. I’ve found the sweet spot is around ninety minutes in the morning or early afternoon before any creative work takes place. Usually after this has been done, my body has released so much serotonin and dopamine that I’m extremely relaxed and ready to create, and my mind isn’t talking at me or filled with any lingering worry or overthinking. I’m just present. The second thing you need to understand is that adequate rest is not optional. If you truly want to think creatively and not have negative thoughts running through your mind all day, you have to get plenty of rest at night and take breaks in between your work sessions. I’ve found that seven to nine hours of sleep are perfect for me.

The last thing that I think is one of the greatest things for your overall creative mind and for eliminating self-doubt is walking in nature, at a park, or in your neighborhood, without headphones and with your notifications silenced. This is a time when you learn to embrace your solitude. Solitude as a creative is essential to helping you slow down in a fast-paced world. It helps you feel at peace when there’s so much going on. It allows your thinking to flow much better when you’re having a creative block.

These are the concepts I’ve applied in my life as a filmmaker. I encourage you to try them as well. You’ll be amazed at where your creative career goes.

—Noah​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​