One of the most difficult questions Iâve ever been asked came from a 30-year old composer back in 2023.
Hereâs what he wrote to me:
"On paper, I have the knowledge, experience, and abilities to pursue a full-time musical career in some form or another. But I lack faith.
On a good day, I still canât see where all of my efforts are leading. And a bad day, my work feels fruitless and naive.
So my question to you is this:
Where does your faith in yourself come from? And how do you find it again when you lose it?"
When I read this, I honestly felt stumped.
Iâve been fortunate to have been supported by my friends and family through my career, and maybe had enough naivety to not question my career choice when I was young.
But not everyone has that kind of internal or external support.
So I decided to do some research into self-belief, and I discovered some good news:
Self-belief isnât something you're born with - it's learned.
Psychologist Albert Bandura coined the term âself efficacyâ as a way to understand the relationship between self belief and personal motivation:
âSelf efficacy is an individualâs belief in their capacity to act in the ways necessary to reach specific goals.â
In his studies, Bandura developed four pillars that, when nurtured, unlock a stronger sense of self belief.
So today, Iâd like to share those four pillar with you.
Start nurturing these pillars, and youâll start believing in yourself.
Pillar #1: đȘ Stop thinking, start doing.
Self-belief comes from previous proof that weâre capable of what we set out to do.
Without that, itâs hard to trust our own abilities.
Bandura calls this pillar âperformance outcomesâ, stating that both positive and negative experiences can influence what we think about our capabilities.
So to start believing in yourselfâŠ
You need to start doing what you want to believe in.
The key to this is to start small. If you want to compose full-time, donât jump straight to emailing Pixar with your reel and resume.
(Start by re-scoring your favorite movie scene with just your primary instrument. Then send an email to a friend of yours asking if they know anyone that can help you. Then try writing your first multi-instrumental track.)
Work in small, manageable steps so you can build that confidence incrementally.
Pillar #2: đŹ Seek encouragement from others.
What we hear repeatedly is what we come to believe.
Bandura refers to this as âverbal persuasionâ.
Often, when weâre doing something in isolation, the only voice we hear is our own inner critic:
âIâll never be as good as John Powell. Iâve peakedâthis is the best my career will ever get. Who am I to charge that much for composing?â
(If you couldnât guess, thatâs my inner critic. âïž)
To break out of this thought loop, we need to open ourselves to the feedback and encouragement of others.
Ask a family member or friend for a supportive word.
Voice your fears and worries aloud.
Allow your closest circle to build you up when you feel down.
Pillar #3: âïž Stop comparing yourself
Our belief in our abilities can become skewed based on how we perceive the abilities of the people around us.
Bandura defines this as âvicarious experiencesâ - experience based on observing others.
In my opinion, this is the biggest trap that artists fall into.
We start off being positively inspired by our idolsâŠ
But without safeguards to protect our emotions, that inspiration shifts into:
- đ Hopelessness ("Iâll never be that good")
- đ Jealousy ("Why donât I have that?")
- đ Longing ("If only I could to thatâŠ")
Mark Twain famously said:
âComparison is the thief of joy.â
In that spirit, the only person you should be comparing yourself to is you.
I can guarantee you that youâve made progress in your personal and professional goals over the last few years.
Itâs just a question of whether youâre acknowledging your growth, or dismissing it.
Get in the habit of celebrating your progress.
Pillar #4: â€ïž Take care of yourself.
One of my favorite quotes comes from a Tweet from James Clear, author of Atomic Habits:
So many of the problems weâre dealing with internally are just the result of not taking care of our mind/body.
Bandura calls this âphysiological feedbackâ, and the antidote is simple:
Take time for yourself.
If youâre working towards a goal, youâre a car heading to a far-off destination.
You need to take time to re-fuel your tank. đ
Hereâs some quick ideas on simple ways to re-fuel:
- đ Call someone you havenât talked to in a while
- đ¶ââïž Go for a 10-minute walk
- đź Cook something you love
- đčïž Play your favorite video game
- đȘ Do 10 pushups
- âïž Write down something youâre grateful for
Re-energizing your mind, body, and spirit is the key to long-term success and the nurturing of your self-belief.
Remember:
The development of self-belief is an ongoing journey.
Sometimes, itâll come naturally.
Sometimes, itâll feel like a distant memory.
But thereâs actionable tools you can use to keep your chin up, stay hopeful, and continue to believe in yourself as you embark on your journey.
(P.S. If youâre like my student and trying to go full-time, itâs nearly impossible to stay motivated on your own. The Composing Career Bootcamp was designed to keep you connect with and inspired by other aspiring full-time musicians just like you!)
đ Ready for more?
When you're ready, here's 4 ways I can help:
- đ„ My YouTube. Watch 350+ videos including music tutorials, career tips, and more.
- đïž The Newsletter Archive. Read articles from previous weeks of this newsletter.
- đŹ Composing Career Bootcamp. Join my 6-week cohort-based course to learn how to land paid composing work from anywhere in the world. (100+ students, 5 stars)
- đ Work Directly with Me. I'm offering private mentorship to a handful of select media composers. If you're interested, click the link to apply.
That's all for now!
Hit reply to share your thoughts, questions, or just to say hi.
(I love hearing from my readers. đ)
Otherwise, happy music-making and I'll see you next Tuesday!
- Zach
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