Feeling Stuck in Your Art? Use the Creative Confidence Meter to Get Unstuck Today
If you’ve ever sat down to create and thought…
“Where did my confidence go?”
“Why can’t I bring the ideas in my head onto paper?”
“Am I even an artist?”
…you’re not alone.
Every artist experiences waves of confidence and doubt. The problem isn’t the feeling itself: it’s that most of us don’t know what’s actually causing it.
That’s exactly why I created the Creative Confidence Meter, a simple, visual tool that helps you identify where your confidence feels strong, where it feels shaky, and what to do next to get back into creative momentum.
In today’s post, I’m breaking down the 4 categories of the meter, how to use it, and how to interpret your results. And if you’re a visual learner, I recorded a complete walkthrough on YouTube where I guide you through the entire process step by step.
Let’s dive in.
What Is the Creative Confidence Meter?
The Creative Confidence Meter is a self-assessment tool that helps you evaluate your confidence in four key areas of art:
- Creativity – the ability to generate ideas and bring them to life
- Skill – your drawing/painting ability and technical foundations
- Practice – how consistently you show up for your art
- Style – how uniquely “you” your art feels
Instead of guessing where you’re struggling (or assuming everything is a mess), this tool gives you clarity. It helps you understand the real reason your creativity feels blocked, and what specific step will move you forward.
In my work with students inside Artist Strong Studio, this is one of the very first tools we use. It’s simple, honest, and incredibly grounding.
Step 1: Draw Your Radar Chart
To begin, draw a shape that looks like a large plus sign: a radar chart.
Give each axis one of the four categories:
- Creativity
- Skill
- Practice
- Style
You’ll label the center of the chart “0” and the outer edge “5,” with “3” in the middle. This creates a scale from 0–5 for each category.
If you want to skip the setup entirely, you can download the free printable guide below: it includes the chart ready to go.
👉 Download the free Creative Confidence Meter here
Step 2: Rate Your Creativity
Most artists assume low creativity equals “I don’t have good ideas.”
But creativity is much more than that: it’s your ability to transform your ideas into artwork.
Here’s the scale:
- 5: “I can bring the ideas in my mind to the page or canvas with confidence.”
- 3: “I have ideas, but I struggle to execute them.”
- 1: “I feel like a copyist. I don’t feel creative at all.”
Place a dot where you fall.
In my YouTube video, I break down why so many artists feel stuck in this category: often it’s not creativity that’s the issue, but another part of the meter pulling the score down.
Step 3: Rate Your Skill
Skill is your technical ability: drawing, painting, observation, proportion, and more.
- 5: “I can draw or paint anything I want, or I know exactly how to improve.”
- 3: “Some things look realistic… inconsistently.”
- 1: “I can’t get anything to look the way I want.”
A lot of artists underestimate their skill because they compare themselves to people further along.
This chart helps you see your skill more honestly, and more compassionately.
Step 4: Rate Your Practice
Your practice score has nothing to do with talent.
It’s simply about consistency.
- 5: “I show up regularly.”
- 3: “I create in phases with long gaps.”
- 1: “I avoid my art or only make it when I feel inspired.”
In the video, I explain why consistency is not about discipline: it’s about choosing practices that match your season of life.
Step 5: Rate Your Style
Most self-taught artists fear they “don’t have a style.”
But style is something that emerges over time through exploration, influence, and repetition… not something you magically wake up with.
Here’s the scale:
- 5: “People recognize my work as mine. I work in series.”
- 3: “I see patterns in my work, but I’m not creating with intentional cohesion.”
- 1: “Everything is one-off. No through line.”
This part of the meter is often misunderstood, so I spend extra time unpacking it in the YouTube walkthrough.
Step 6: Connect the Dots
Once you’ve placed your four dots, connect them.
You’ll end up with a diamond-like shape.
This shape is your Creative Confidence Snapshot: a visual map of your artistic strengths and your growth opportunities.
Better yet, it becomes a roadmap for your next steps.
Here are some common patterns and what they mean.
Interpreting Your Creative Confidence Meter
Below are three of the most common meter shapes I see from learning artists, and what each one tells you.
1. Strong Practice + Growing Style, but Low Creativity + Skill
You show up, and your style is emerging, but your technical ability and idea development feel limited.
What this means:
Your commitment is incredible: you’re doing the hardest part. With more targeted skill-building, your creative ideas will become much easier to execute.
Next steps:
- Create a practice plan focused on the skills related to your interests
- Start working in series to strengthen your creative muscles
- Give yourself repeated attempts at similar ideas — creativity grows through iteration
I talk through an example of this meter shape in the video (above).
2. Strong Creativity + Style, but Low Practice + Skill
Your ideas flow, and your style is beginning to show, but you struggle to show up consistently, and your skill doesn’t yet support the quality you envision.
What this means:
Your imagination is strong, and you’re on the verge of artistic breakthroughs.
But inconsistency and skill gaps are blocking your momentum.
Next steps:
- Build a simple practice plan tailored to your artistic interests
- Learn habit strategies that meet you where you are (NOT generic advice)
- Prioritize skill-building that directly supports the art you want to make
This is exactly what we clarify inside Artist Strong Studio, so your skill and practice grow with your creativity.
3. Strong Skill + Practice, but Low Creativity
You can draw or paint realistically with ease, but your ideas feel… flat. You feel stuck working from photos and want something more.
What this means:
You’re ready for artistic expansion.
Your technical foundation is strong; now it’s time to cultivate imagination and influence.
Next steps:
- Explore artists who inspire you
- Notice which artistic decisions you naturally gravitate toward
- Develop a series to experiment, play, and uncover new ideas
Why the Creative Confidence Meter Works
Most artists try to “solve” everything at once:
- Skill
- Ideas
- Style
- Consistency
Which leads to overwhelm, frustration, and months of not creating.
This meter helps you focus.
You identify your real area of need, and that becomes your next step.
Your confidence grows more quickly because you’re not trying to fix everything at once. You’re supporting the right thing at the right time.
Download Your Free Creative Confidence Meter
If you want to follow along with the video (or print a copy to keep in your sketchbook) you can download the guide below.
👉 Get the free Creative Confidence Meter guide
It walks you through the four categories, includes the printable chart, and gives you reflection questions to help you understand your results deeply.
Want Personalized Support?
If you want to go beyond the self-assessment and actually improve each part of your meter, my workshop How to Transform Your Ideas Into Artwork That’s Uniquely Yours digs deeper into each category and guides you through what to do next.
Inside Artist Strong Studio (formerly Self-Taught to Self-Confident), you get mentorship, structure, and a personalized practice plan so your confidence grows across all four dimensions: creativity, skill, practice, and style.
You can watch the workshop and learn more here:
(link)