Confidence can open doors and is at the heart of so many amazing success stories across industries and disciplines and so we’ve always been interested in learning how we can help our readers and community members increase their confidence and self-esteem. Below, you’ll find highlights of some of the great conversations we’ve had on this topic.

Lachlan Cameron Ma

Growing up, I actually wasn’t confident about myself. Lots of times I would compare myself to others and even though I was on a constant pursuit to grow and be like those who I deemed “better” than myself, there was always a “higher person” to latch onto one I achieved a certain satisfaction of myself. I guess this could be beneficial in a sense that I knew I could always be better, but when will I ever achieve full confidence and great self-esteem? Thus, it took one thing to develop my confidence and self esteem: Therapy. Read More>>

Queen Bassey

Honestly this question is amazing because my self esteem developed out of nowhere with no warning whatsoever. I found myself walking with my shoulders back and head held high more often and being more confident in my speech and all round presence. I can truthfully say it was all God and prayer that created this confidence and self esteem in me today. Read More>>

Anzal Khan

Honestly, it took time, and a lot of unlearning. I used to think confidence meant being loud, or always knowing what to say. But for me, it started with small, quiet moments. Like telling myself I was good enough to charge for my work. Or standing my ground when people questioned my worth, whether in my personal life or as a creative. Read More>>

Alain Matz

That’s an important question to me because self-esteem and confidence have definitely been a raw nerve my whole life. Going all the way back to being a young child, I have never had a positive sense of self-esteem or any real confidence. I always felt like an outsider and someone that others really had no interest in. To this day, I struggle with both of these as an adult. Which is why you would think it’s funny that even as a child, I knew I wanted to be creative and entertain. Quite possibly the -worst- career path for someone with -no- self-esteem or confidence! Read More>>

Yeakun Yoo

Confidence and self-esteem are crucial when working as a professional media composer. In my experience, whenever I lacked confidence as a composer, I often struggled to create truly impactful music. The fear of failing would push me to play it safe, resulting in predictable, generic pieces rather than something bold and innovative. I realized that this lack of confidence was holding back my growth as an artist. Read More>>

Danielle Velasquez

My self-confidence comes from everything I’ve already overcome. Every setback built a little more resilience, and every win reminded me of what I’m capable of. It comes from the promises I keep to myself. Confidence grows when I show up for myself, even when it’s hard. I learned this from my parents and I am forever grateful for the lessons that molded me into who I am today. Read More>>

Jordan Blair

I haven’t, but it is something that I’m working on. At first, I used to ask myself, if you don’t believe in yourself, then who is going to believe in you? If you can’t even convince yourself, then how will you prove it to the world?

Then, I realized two things. I would hate to be 50 and know I was unhappy/wasted my life. Plus, I think about music and visuals so often, I can’t help but keep finding a way to incorporate them into my life. Reading The Artist’s Way helped me learn that creativity is the natural order of life. Read More>>

Gabriela Alicia Berutti

My confidence and self-esteem have grown over time. I kept working despite that inner voice telling me, “What you’re doing is terrible.” I kept going, developing strategies to quiet that self-sabotaging voice—sometimes by pushing through, and other times by setting the idea aside for a while and returning to it later with fresh eyes. Read More>>

 Josette Tyne

I developed my confidence and self-esteem largely through the influence of my mother. She raised me to stand strong, walk with my head held high, and believe in myself no matter the circumstance. She instilled in me the importance of not letting others affect my sense of self or stand in my way.

Additionally, attending modeling school at a young age helped reinforce these values. It taught me how to carry myself with poise, be comfortable in my own skin, and embrace what makes me different. Read More>>

 Spencer Hawkins

I wasn’t always this confident. Confidence is a skill you develop in stages throughout life, and for many, it starts as early as adolescence. My dad has always been,and still is, the most confident person I’ve ever met. He believes he can do anything, and once he sets his mind to something, there’s no talking him out of it. His confidence is unshakable. Read More>>

Margarita Kurtova

For me, confidence has never been something fixed or innate — it’s something that gets built when you look your fears in the eye and choose to act anyway.

The first thing I always ask myself is: Where is this lack of confidence coming from? If I feel uncertain about what I’m offering or unsure about my skills, the answer isn’t to fake confidence. The answer is to grow — to practice, to study, to sharpen until I can stand behind my work fully. Read More>>

 Jason Flame

My confidence and self-esteem was developed over time through consistent action, overcoming challenges, and surrounding myself with people who believed in me—even when I didn’t fully believe in myself.

At first, it came from small wins—showing up, learning new skills, and seeing growth. Whether it was in martial arts, sports, or public speaking, every time I pushed past fear or discomfort, my confidence grew. Mentors played a huge role too; they helped me see strengths I hadn’t recognized. Read More>>

Barry J Neely

Confidence is all about trusting in yourself. And it’s about trusting your skills. If you’ve worked hard on those skills, chances are you’re going to be at least somewhat good at your craft.

After all the years of work I’ve put into music, I will fully admit that my confidence gets shaken, probably more than I’d like. I’m extremely passionate about what I do, and that passion comes with its share of sensitivity. If there’s an issue with a piece of music I’ve written for a film, Read More>>

Sarai Murdock

Growing up I was bullied in school. Having to deal with that for most of my childhood was difficult, especially while I was growing into my body and finding myself. One thing I struggled with was comparing myself to other people. I struggled not just with confidence in my physicality, but as well as my art. I was scared of rejection because people found ways to make me feel unworthy. I thought it was better to just hide my art rather than embrace it. When I got to my sophomore year of high school at Cleveland School of the Arts Covid took over. Read More>>

Jennifer Kaplan

Developing confidence and self-esteem wasn’t something I consciously thought about growing up. I was always curious and energetic. I loved to participate in activities, try new things, go to camp, make new friends. My parents instilled in us that there wasn’t anything we couldn’t do or achieve. Read More>>

 Jake Bird

I am most definitely still working on self confidence and self-esteem through my music everyday. Honestly, not as much as I could be. These are some topics that I put into my music, since the majority of the music I create is things that I can relate too or am thinking about in that particular moment. It might seem a little backwards for some, but I feel the confidence was more there when I was little.  Read More>>

Allison Bray

Honestly, developing confidence and self-esteem has been a layered process, and it is still ongoing. Motherhood has a way of both humbling you and empowering you at the same time. I didn’t wake up one day feeling confident. It came from showing up for myself in the small, quiet moments. It came from proving to myself that I could do hard things, even when I felt overwhelmed or unsure.

In the early postpartum days, I often questioned if I was doing enough or doing it “right.” But over time, I started giving myself more grace, more credit, and more compassion. I began to trust my instincts, not just as a mother, but as a woman, creator, and business owner. Read More>> 

Rakesh Galebhe

Developing confidence and self-esteem didn’t happen overnight. Coming from a background where acting wasn’t always seen as a ‘secure’ career, I had to fight both external doubts and internal insecurities. I started by doing short films, where I really learned the craft and built confidence through repetition and live feedback. Each performance, each rejection, each audition taught me something. I also leaned on my mentors and learned to value progress over perfection. With time, I realized that confidence comes from knowing your worth, not from constant validation. That shift made all the difference Read More>>