Your Fear of Looking Stupid is Holding You Back
Fear is an emotion that can paralyze even the strongest of individuals.
It is a natural response to something we perceive as a threat, but sometimes it can hold us back from achieving our full potential. This is especially true for an artist constantly pushing boundaries and exploring new ideas. As creatives and entrepreneurs, we often have big ideas and grand visions. We dream of changing the world, disrupting industries, and making a difference. But sometimes, we hold back from pursuing our dreams because we are afraid of looking foolish or being ridiculed by others. This fear can prevent us from taking risks and trying new things. It can keep us in our comfort zones, where we are safe but never truly fulfilled.
I remember a time when I was working at Nickelodeon. I was on a team of highly talented executives and producers who would walk into the room daily with confidence and security in who they were and what they brought to our team. It was my first real job in the media industry, offices in Time Square literally sitting on top of the Lion King’s Broadway theatre. I should have been on top of the world, walking to work and riding the escalator up to my new big corporate job with my head held high, but instead, I walked most days with a layer of insecurity. What if I said the wrong thing? What if my learning curve just exposes my ignorance of this new world of media? Why did I allow myself to waste so many days that I could have brought my team my authentic and honest self? Unafraid to fail and willing to take a risk.
The truth is the fear of looking stupid is just an illusion. It is a perception we create in our minds, but it has no basis in reality. We imagine that people will judge us harshly if we fail or make mistakes, but in fact, most people are too focused on their own lives to pay much attention to ours. And even if someone does criticize us, it is usually because they are afraid to take risks themselves, and they are projecting their insecurities onto us. If I asked some of my Nick colleagues today, “where did you find that self-confidence every day?” And they more than likely would respond, “What self-confidence?”
“The truth is the fear of looking stupid is just an illusion.”
The problem with this fear is that it can hold you back from achieving your goals. It can prevent you from pursuing your passions, taking on new challenges, and reaching your full potential. If you're constantly worried about what others will think of you or your work, you may never take the necessary steps to create something truly unique and remarkable. Here are just a few mindsets that I’ve found have helped me get over myself and that fear of looking stupid.
Embrace Failure
The truth is that failure is a natural part of the creative process and entrepreneurial journey. It's impossible to innovate and create something truly unique without taking risks and making mistakes. It's not something to be feared or avoided; in fact, failure and mistakes are often essential components of success. Each time we fail, we learn something new that can help us succeed in the future. Living in NYC and especially working in a massive church that was loading in and out of venues every weekend for 10 years, if you did not produce resilience and grit, you were chewed up and spit out. The city just naturally does that to people who move there by the second. If you were going to survive, you had to be ok with the audition that didn’t get a call back this time, the design that was sent through for its third revision, and the sprained ankle a week before the performance. It was just a way of life. So instead of worrying about looking stupid or failing, focus on the lessons you can learn from your failures. Embracing failure can help you develop resilience, grit, and perseverance, which are essential qualities for success.
Laser Focused Vision
Instead of worrying about what others will think of your work, focus on your vision and what you want to achieve. Keep your goals and passions in mind and use them to guide your decisions and actions. By staying true to your vision, you can create something truly unique and remarkable, regardless of what others may think. When you enter the comparison minefield, your innovation spirit will be killed. But great innovators aren’t copycats. What you are innovating hasn’t been done before, so of course, you feel like the odd man out cause no one’s been there yet. So stay focused, and don’t look to the right or to the left to calculate your success.
Nice Sharks
Surrounding yourself with supportive people can help you overcome the fear of looking stupid. Seek out like-minded individuals who share your passions and values and will support and encourage you on your journey. These people can provide valuable feedback and help you stay motivated and focused on your goals. The fear of looking stupid can also prevent us from sharing our ideas with others. We may be afraid that our ideas will be rejected or that we will be laughed at. But the reality is that no one has it out to get you. Find your people who will speak the truth but are doing it to call you higher, who are committed to seeing you win. Those people can be mentors in your field, people older than you, and in a different stage of life or career. Being a lifelong learner will continue to stretch your capacity and self-awareness of where you have areas to grow. Having those people in your world gives you a sounding board and a map to guide you through uncharted territory for your creative endeavors. Feedback is your friend, and don’t forget it. It can ONLY make you a better creative, don't allow it to make you an insecure creative. Lean into it.
Forward Moves Only
This is essential to seeing movement. Start small by taking small steps towards your goals and gradually work up to more significant challenges. Each time you take action, you'll gain confidence and momentum, which can help you overcome your fears and achieve success. Here at The Brook Studio, we have to continue to face our fear of looking stupid every single day, and at its core is where the thought of “If Not Now, When?” really stems from. You’ve got to face that fear with an action plan because as you walk it out, the fear is quieted and has no other excuse than to be silent.
At the end of the day, our fear of looking stupid will hold us back from achieving our goals, being truly fulfilled creatively, and looking back with no regrets. However, by embracing failure, keeping laser-focused vision, surrounding ourselves with supportive people, and forward moves only, we can overcome this fear and start backing our art and innovation. Remember, success as a creative or entrepreneur requires taking risks and trying new things, so don't let the fear of looking stupid hold you back. So get on out there.
