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S is for Security - Excerpt from The Artist's Suitcase · The Daily Writer

• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Daily Rider Podcast, where we bring you tips and inspiration each day to help you build habits for writing success.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: For more resources, including your free Daily Rider Starter Kit, visit DailyRiderLife.com.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: This past week I've been sharing excerpts from a book that I published a few years ago.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: It's called The Artist Suitcase 26 Essentials for the Creative Journey.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: It's a short, fun read for all kinds of artists, particularly for writers.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: Here's today's excerpt from the chapter S is for secure.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: A few years ago, our family decided to get a dog.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: We discovered a sweet Australian shepherd named Madison at the local animal shelter.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: She had been abused by her former owner and was terrified of men.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: It took several months before she would even let me pet her.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: Madison has changed a lot over the last three years, but she still needs constant affirmation.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: We could pet her for hours every day, and it would still not fill her emotional tank.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: There's a part of Madison that will always be needy and insecure.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: The word insecure means subject to fears, doubts, etc., not self-confident or assured.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: You and I can easily fall into this emotional state if we're not careful.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: As artists, we crave approval and affirmation, but we can take it too far if we're not emotionally healthy ourselves.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: As an artist who is constantly putting your work out there, you must be secure in your identity and self-worth.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to be a more secure artist, it helps to recognize the following five signs of insecurity.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: These are useful for identifying and correcting unhealthy emotional patterns.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: It's easy to see these patterns in others, yet completely miss them when it comes to our own hearts.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: By the way, how do I know these five signs so well?
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: Because I have been guilty of all of them at times.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you have as well.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: Number one, an insecure artist constantly finds fault with others.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: When my son Ben was in the fourth grade, I had a conversation with him about school bullies.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: He asked why some kids pick on others.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: I explained that some people feel so badly about themselves that the only way they can feel better is to drag everyone else down with them.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: Sadly, some people keep doing this way past the fourth grade.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: Number two, an insecure artist can't accept constructive criticism.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: No one likes to be criticized, but the truth is that even the most stinging criticism can contain a kernel of truth.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: An insecure person is not mature enough to see the kernel of truth and learn from it.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: They can dish it out, but they can't take it.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Early in my teaching career, I received a nasty email from a student.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: He criticized me pretty harshly about my leadership of our music program.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: I felt angry and defensive that he had the nerve to send me such a critical note.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: Plus, I wanted to dismiss his comments since he had not been a good student.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: But in my heart I knew the truth.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: There was a bit of accuracy to his statements.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: There were several areas where I was coming up short and needed to improve.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: Number three, an insecure artist always wonders what everybody else thinks.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: Some people can't make their own decisions because they are too concerned about getting other people's approval.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: As a result, they are constantly asking what everyone else thinks about this or that.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: When others give you advice, treat it like a crutch.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: Use it to get you back on your feet and moving in the right direction.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: But if you rely on it too long, you'll eventually be too weak to stand on your own.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: 4.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: An insecure artist relies on external measurements for his sense of self-worth.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: There are many ways that insecure people measure their worth their car, house, clothing, personal appearance, titles, friends and associates, income, size of their business or organization, degrees and awards, and even the success of their own children.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: None of these things is bad.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, they can all be wonderful things when put in the proper perspective.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: But none of them is a true measurement of your value as a person.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: I have known a lot of people with money, academic degrees, and all kinds of outward signs of success, yet who are unhappy and insecure.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: You can't base your self-worth on the shifting tides of people's opinions and other external measurements.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, base your confidence on these three things knowing who you are, confidence in your gifts and purpose, knowing who loves you, confidence in the unconditional love of those closest to you, knowing whose child you are, confidence in your eternal standing as a beloved child of God.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: five, an insecure artist sees everyone as a competitor.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: Some people don't have the emotional maturity to compliment, encourage, or publicly support others without expecting something in return.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: They can't be happy for other people when they succeed, and they think a win for someone else means a loss for themselves.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: I mentioned this idea in the chapter on generosity, but it's so important it bears repeating.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: An insecure person sees success as a limited pie where there's only so much to go around.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: If you get a bigger piece, that means there's less for me, right?
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: A secure person sees himself and everyone else as having unlimited potential for success.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: He doesn't see others as competitors, but as fellow travelers on the creative journey.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: He knows that your success means his success and vice versa.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: He knows that a rising tide lifts all ships.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: Secure people create art from a place of generosity.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: Insecure people create art from a place of fear.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: Guess which type of person has more fun?
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: More friends, more influence and success.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: Walt Disney, one of the most creative leaders in American history, identified a key to creating great art.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: Somehow I can't believe there are many heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secret of making dreams come true.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: And the greatest of these is confidence.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: When you believe a thing, believe it all over implicitly and unquestioningly.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to reach your creative potential, you have to believe in yourself, link arms with others, and serve with a generous heart.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: Creativity is an inside job.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, I hope you enjoyed that short excerpt from the Artist Suitcase, twenty-six essentials for the creative journey.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: You can grab the book by going to Kent Sanders.net slash suitcase.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: A big thanks to today's sponsor, Thumbprint Creative.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: You've probably heard the saying, don't judge a book by its cover.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: But in the book world, it's absolutely not true.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: People do judge the quality of the book by its cover, and in fact, the cover design is the first thing people notice about a book.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: That's why my graphic designer of choice is Christy Griffith, owner of Thumbprint Creative.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: I've worked with Christy for many years, and she's designed covers and interior layouts for my own books, my ghostwriting clients, as well as lots of books for friends that I've sent her way.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: Christy works closely with you to design a layout that perfectly captures the theme and genre of the book.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: Visit gothumbprint.com to learn more.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: That's go thumbprint.com to learn more.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: Or if you'd like a personal intro to Christy, just shoot me an email.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: Kent at dailywriterlife.com would be happy to intro you to Christy.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: As always, my friend, thanks for listening, and I'll see you next time.