I did a drawing this morning, and, honestly, it was pretty much the same drawing I did in the margin of my tenth-grade Latin notebook in 1977. A cartoon of a dude with a bald head, big nose, baggy eyes. No, not a selfie.

I’ve been teaching art for more than ten years, writing online for more than twenty years, drawing for almost thirty years, and making a living using my creative abilities for more than forty.

But just now, a thought flashed through my head: “Am I actually any good at this?”

I know I am. But still, I can be really mean to me.

​

What really breaks my heart, though, is seeing this same battle played out in the comments under my videos and emails from readers. Time and again, I see people being awful to themselves. Sometimes in sweeping, dismissive, cruel ways.

A parade of self-doubt marches past, each person carrying their own hand-crafted banner of deprecation. Some wave it boldly — "I can't draw at all!" "Zero talent!" "Impossible for me!" “ I could never draw like you” — while others carry smaller, more insidious flags.

Just the other day, J wrote to me about starting a sketchbook, and there it was, tucked between the words like a noxious weed. He wrote about his drawing and called it “scribbling.” He said, “I’m not very good, but I guess I sort of have a style emerging."

Ouch.

It's those quiet "not very good"s that get me. They're like tiny paper cuts to the creative spirit — seemingly insignificant but stinging all the same. In time, they will cut an artery, and your creative urges will bleed out.

These whispered self-doubts, these casual dismissals of our own efforts - they're the real creativity killers. Not the lack of talent, not the missing skills, but these subtle ways we undermine ourselves, one "sort of" and "kind of" at a time.

I sometimes wonder if my tenth-grade self was actually braver than I am now, doodling away without questioning whether those margin drawings were "good enough." That's the real skill we need to relearn — not how to draw better, but how to silence that monkey voice in our head long enough to simply express the treasures we truly are.

Your pal,

Danny

P.S. Did you hear? I'm making a brand new course based on my best-selling book. If you like my writing and creativity, you will LOVE this course. And we're launching it at 50% off the eventual price we'll off it to the general public. But there's a catch: we're keeping all details of the course a secret. If you trust me that it will be good, you get it for half price. I will give you one hint: You will only need the art supplies you already have. Ok - two hints: This course will change the way you see yourself and the world. The course will go live on January 1, 2025. This special Black Friday offer expires on Wednesday, December 4th. Click here to get the (deeply discounted and super intriguing) mystery offer.