"Why waste your time proving over and over again how great you are when you could be getting better?"

Here's the hard truth that no one wants to talk about: most of us are walking around with a voice in our head that's absolutely brutal. If we heard someone talking to our best friend the way we talk to ourselves, we'd be ready to fight. But somehow, we've normalized this internal beatdown that happens daily. As tattoo artists, and entrepreneurs, our mindset isn't just about feeling good—it directly impacts our technical skills, client relationships, and business growth. I've been there, stuck in cycles of self-doubt and perfectionism that nearly made me quit this podcast entirely. But here's what I've learned about rewiring those destructive thought patterns and why it might be the most important skill you develop as an artist. Whether you're just starting out, or you've been in the game for years, these mindset shifts can completely transform how you show up in your career.

Ready to stop letting your inner critic run the show? Start with this week's homework challenge—catch one negative thought each day and rewrite it. Your future self (and your art) will thank you. Remember, you can't control the thoughts that pop into your head, but you absolutely can control how you react to them. Now get out there and show up for yourself the way you'd show up for your best friend.

What you will learn in this episode:

• How 80% of our internal dialogue is negative and why this repetitive thinking keeps us stuck in limiting patterns that affect our artistic growth

• The difference between growth mindset and fixed mindset, and why believing your skills are unchangeable will keep you proving yourself instead of improving yourself

• Why surrounding yourself with people who challenge you is more valuable than those who just hype you up, and how to identify which type of people you currently have in your circle

• The destructive nature of all-or-nothing thinking and how perfectionism disguised as motivation actually leads to burnout and stagnation

• Practical strategies to reframe "I can't do this" to "I can't do this yet" and why this simple shift opens up possibilities for skill development

• How to catch and redirect negative thoughts before they become limiting beliefs that dictate your actions and career trajectory

• Why showing up consistently matters more than showing up intensely, and how to build resilience through progress over perfection

• The homework challenge: how to identify and rewrite one recurring negative thought each day to start changing your mental patterns

 

Links:

boundbyart.com

bluebirdtattoos.com

instagram.com/tattoosbymissiblue

instagram.com/boundbyartproject

instagram.com/bluebirdtattoostudio

 

Music: Unknown Road - The Harp Project