A Meditation on Creativity, Self-Doubt, and Showing Up Anyway

Years of Music, Years of Self-Doubt: Why Creating for Yourself Is Enough

After years of composing, recording, and losing myself in music, I still hesitate to call myself a musician. ‘Just noodling,’ I’ll say, dismissing hours at the piano.

Recently, a younger friend called me out: ‘You’ve played longer than I’ve been alive. Why act like a beginner?’ 

The question rang in my ears. Because I know that voice, that inner whisper that says, ‘You’re not really…’.

And I bet you know it, too."

That Sneaky Voice of "Not Enough"

We’ve all met that inner critic:

• You paint, but "aren’t an artist."

• You write stories, but "aren’t a writer."

• You sing... but only in the shower.

That voice deceives us: Unless it’s perfect, profitable, or praised, it doesn’t count.

But what if showing up for yourself—not others—is the bravest creative act?

My Lifeline Through 3 Careers

Music anchored me through radical reinventions:

• As a photographer/radio host, I learned: Creativity isn’t a job title. It’s oxygen.

• As a law librarian, precision ruled. No room for a stray note.

• As a psychotherapist, I witness clients bury creative sparks after being told "you’re not good enough."

My truth? We create to connect—to ourselves first.

Music as Meditation

Today, my "stage" is a home studio. Age took some of my hearing; my stage fright never left.

Yet I return to it every day:

• Fingers on guitar strings.

• Breath through a wind instrument.

• Humming melodies into my phone.

This isn’t about applause. It’s the instant when sound sinks into your bones and whispers:‘Here I am.’

This is the meditation. It’s our body breathing itself back into being.

Sharing = Courage (Quiet or Loud)

I’ve shared music met with silence. It stings.

But once, a stranger heard a melody I wrote and wept, "This is me." That moment? Worth every doubt.

So, whether you sketch in a notebook or garden:

>> You don’t need permission to call yourself an artist. <<

Affirmation:

To anyone creating in the shadows:

• You don’t need fame.

• You don’t need flawlessness.

• You only need to listen for that sound within—and follow it.

• That is enough.

• You are enough.

A Psychotherapist’s Epiphany

As a psychotherapist, I witness daily how we exile creativity to survive perfectionistic environments.

That voice whispering 'you’re not a real artist' isn’t humility—it’s a trauma response.

Creativity is nervous system medicine: rhythm anchors us, melody externalizes the unspeakable, and improvisation rewires rigid thinking.

My work? Helping clients spot their critical inner part (often echoing past dismissals), separate it from their truth, and reclaim creation as defiant self-reparenting.

When you create just for yourself, you’re not making art—you’re remaking your wholeness.

At Inner Counsel Therapy, I help individuals to cultivate balanced, compassionate relationships with their goals and self-expectations. Together, we explore ways to embrace growth with kindness and authenticity. Book a free consultation and begin your journey back to yourself.

The author once upon a time.

#ImposterSyndrome #YouAreEnough #SomaticHealing