We recently connected with Hope Steinle and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Hope , we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
Developing my confidence and self-esteem is a continuous journey of self-love and self-acceptance for me. About five years ago I went through a big shift in beliefs of what I thought I had known to be true. I had to peel back layers of limiting beliefs that I had thought to be true about myself & the world for my whole life and I’ve been healing and growing since. Learning about positive affirmations and how I can use them to change my mindset from a negative state to a positive one has played a big role in boosting my confidence and self-esteem. I choose to believe in myself because why would I not? You’re the only one that can fight and work for your goals and dreams. The other choice would be to not and that leads me into a fear and anxiety spiral. You are the only one who can make your dreams become reality. Nobody is going to come knock on your door and just hand them to you. Like Mel Robbins says “No one is coming. Your dreams are your responsibility.” So, if that’s true, then I choose to make this journey ahead of me as smooth as I possibly can. Choosing to believe that I can build my dream life, one day at a time, is what keeps me persevering through those days where I do feel like I want to give up. On those days where I am feeling low, what gets me through and pulls me out are my thoughts and what I’m choosing to believe in that moment. Am I going to love myself and choose loving/kind thoughts or am I going to let my thoughts self sabotage me? I go from thinking “I can’t do this” “this is hard” “It’s never going to happen for me” to “It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be moving forward” “I am capable of accomplishing my goals and building my dream life” “I love life and life loves me” “Everything is working out for my highest good. I am safe. All is well.” At the end of the day, I would say repeating affirmations daily, making sure I’m taking care of my mind, body, and soul are some of the biggest things I’ve done to develop my confidence and self-esteem.
Now that I have three beautiful kids, they are a huge motivator for me to keep growing and loving myself. They push me to keep going and not give up on myself. Children are always watching and modeling what adults around them are doing so if I can model for them to love themselves and to follow their dreams and what makes them happy, that is my goal. I want them to see that it will not always be easy but it is always worth it. Always.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a Surface Designer. Most people I’ve told that to have no idea what that is, which is fair because up until a couple of years ago, I had never heard of it either! Surface Designers create art as stand alone prints and/or repeating patterns to be used on products like wallpaper, fabric, home decor, stationary, etc. Most products you see in the store that have a design on it, were made by an artist that is now getting paid by that store to use their art to sell on their products. I’m incredibly excited to see my art on products around the world and the ability to earn passive income from licensing my art. Right now, I’m in the beginning stage of my art career and I’m focusing on making as much art as I can to strengthen my skills and build up my portfolio. I get most of my inspiration while taking walks and being out in nature with my family so you will see a lot of florals and designs inspired by the natural world in my work. My hope is that my work inspires and brings joy to someone who needs a little nudge of hope and encouragement when they need it.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Having a growth mindset, becoming aware of limiting beliefs you have about yourself, & developing the skill of patience and persistence are my top three skills or qualities that I think sets a strong foundation for success. Having a growth mindset, you can always learn something new. No matter what age or stage of life you’re in. I’ve taken a lot of courses online to learn as much as I can about surface design over the last few years. It can be overwhelming to think about all the things you have to do to get where you want to be but if you break it down into bite size pieces every day, that is progress and moving you closer to your goal. Even if you only have fifteen minutes a day, that is ninety-one hours per year that is moving you forward. One of my favorite quotes by Staci Bloomfield is “Slow growth is good growth”.
Dig deep and see if you have any limiting beliefs you may not have realized you had. It could be about making money, feeling like you don’t belong or there’s no room for you, or you don’t deserve to be successful. I’ve learned to flip those limiting beliefs into affirmations that I will say when I start to hear myself thinking those thoughts. Here are a couple examples:
-Limiting belief: No one will want to buy my art.
-Affirmation: My art has value and will resonate and connect with others.
-Limiting belief: I’ll never make enough money to support myself.
-Affirmation: I trust in my ability to earn money through my art in due time. I am worthy of wealth and abundance.
Patience and persistence have been two of the skills I’ve been working on the most this year. In the past, I’ve tried to rush through learning and the beginning stages of building my art business and finding what art I enjoy making. I’ve been learning from some amazing teachers online and I keep being reminded to enjoy this early stage and really take your time to explore and be free to create whatever you feel. Slow growth is good growth.
Persistence I think is one of the most important skills someone should have. Persistence will get you through those days where you just don’t know if you can do it anymore or you feel like giving up. If you can sit in the chair and just start doing it, you will start to feel a bit better, even if it’s only for ten minutes. One of my favorite Mel Robbins quotes is “It’s not the big moves that change everything – it’s the smallest ones in your everyday life that do.” If you have to take a day off for rest then do it, but do not miss two days in a row. That’s when it’s easy to fall off and then before you realize it a year has gone by. I’m always listening to podcasts like Mel Robbins or about building an art business to keep learning and growing and help keep me focused.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. This book is what started it all for me. About five years ago I was lost in motherhood. I was a stay at home mom to three young kids and completely lost who I was. My whole identity was mom and I was slowly burning out. I hadn’t realized this until my husband asked me what I liked doing just for myself. What would I do if I had a day to myself to do anything I wanted? I had no answer. I had ignored my needs and wants for so long that I had no idea what filled me up. I loved drawing and coloring as a child but I hadn’t picked up a crayon or pencil since then. My husband is a writer and had read Big Magic. One day he handed it to me and that’s when my journey started back to myself and my creativity. One of my favorite things about this book is how she talks about inspiration and ideas as a living entity, just waiting for us to be open to them. “Keep your eyes open. Listen. Follow your curiosity. Ask questions. Sniff around. Remain open. Trust in the miraculous truth that new marvelous ideas are looking for human collaborators every single day. Ideas of every kind are constantly galloping toward us, constantly passing through us, constantly trying to get our attention.”
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elderwildart/
Image Credits
Moriah Ruth Photography
