Mindset truly is everything when it comes to being a creative entrepreneur… and fostering a growth mindset is the pathway to alignment + bliss in your creative business.
Whether you’re an artist, creative entrepreneur or small business owner, the words “mindset truly is everything” aren’t just shallow words. Your mindset can truly make or break your business and, without a doubt, plays a central role in your creativity.
This post is designed to take us deeper below the surface of why having a growth mindset is so important to be a creative soul, but more importantly, how to cultivate your own.
What Is a “Growth Mindset”?
A growth mindset is the state of mind that, at the end of the day, your abilities and talents can be continually developed and also recognizes that your talents are pure gifts. The term was first coined by Psychologist Carol Dweck.
A growth mindset is focused on the future, and continual self-improvement, rather than weighing itself down by what happened in the past or fixating on negativity.
It’s really important to outline that this does not mean that you always have to be positive, even in the wake of tragic or dark times. That’s toxic positivity and doesn’t actually heal. Conversely, a resilient growth-focused mindset t is an ethos that focuses more on solutions rather than problems.
Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset
When you’re aligned with a growth mindset, you’re more likely to…
- Embrace that learning is a lifelong habit
- See ‘failures’ as temporary setbacks
- View feedback as a chance to learn + receive new information
- Engage in healthy and constructive self-talk
Whereas, if you’re operating under a fixed mindset, you’re likely to…
- Believe that your traits are permanent and cannot be changed
- See the successes of others as a threat to your own
- Avoid new challenges or things that take you out of your comfort zone
- Dwell in negative self-talk
- Act extremely defensive when receiving feedback from others
Cultivating Your Mindset For Growth
It’s important first to outline that we all have a mindset comprising a variety of fixed and growth mindsets. You could live pretty aligned with a growth mindset but still have some limiting beliefs about your ability or what’s possible for you. Many of these beliefs (if not the majority) live beneath the surface of our consciousness, meaning you may not even be aware of them. Long story short: this isn’t a this or that type of thing, and definitely not an all-or-nothing race. You can begin to cultivate your growth mindset in small ways and build your way up with the intention of always growing and developing – and that is living attuned overall to a resilient forward-thinking mindset.
Here are some strategies and techniques for developing and cultivating your growth mindset
- The next time you see yourself make a ‘mistake,’ practice radically accepting and forgiving yourself with gentle self-talk
- Approach someone you’ve always admired in your industry for coaching or mentorship to develop and grow your skills continually
- Create something just for fun, releasing the need to be perfect or create something perfect
- The next time you receive feedback, practice intentionally listening rather than attaching to the feedback and seeing it as criticism. Get curious instead. Is it possible that the feedback isn’t a criticism at all?
Your Mindset as a Creative Entrepreneur
Why spend time cultivating your mindset as a creative? The benefits of mindset work for creative entrepreneurs are staggering, including:
- Reducing your chance of burning out
- Adopting the belief that learning is a lifelong experience (and being a lifelong learner is extremely beneficial to being an entrepreneur!)
- Encouraging you to think in new and innovative ways
- Cultivating a sense of resilience
- Helping you create a network of supportive individuals
Begin To Cultivate Your Mindset Right Now…
In the (free) FULFILLED workshop, you’ll learn how to shift your focus from outward success to inner fulfillment, understand how to create life-long habits and cultivate a growth mindset.
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