What gives you your confidence in your own work ?

[~Emmsybabes~]

I have been thinking over the last few weeks how I and a lot of other geeks lack confidence in our own work.
So to the confident peeps, what makes you confident...
Is it that you know you do thourough prep...or..you know you are fab at sculpting...or is it your people skills....etc...
Or everything all rolled into one...

I don't know what makes people who obviously are talented techs lack confidence...

I don't even know what it is that makes ME lack confidence

Sometimes I sit back and think...do you know what I did a bloomin great job on those...
Others I think OMG why didnt I stop..pack up my stuff and not bother lol...

I think one of my major problems is that I sometimes lack the ability to explain myself....

So its like I have all this knowledge in my head...and I can put it to good use,
But if asked a question I clam up and all thoughts leave my brain...
This sometimes leads me to belive this whole thing is really a fluke and Im not really as good as I thought I was..Otherwise I would know all this stuff and never forget!

Other times I think "god Emm's give yourself a break..you have only been doing this for 2 and a half years"
Then the negative kicks in again and I think " well theres plenty of other techs been in the industry the same amount of time, and they are acheiving more"...

Crazy isn't it...
I am amazed by people who can happily stand and talk to a group of people openly and educate them...etc...
When I sometimes struggle getting words out to a client about what I am doing...

I also wonder sometimes, if its that because I love what I do so much, I have too much going on in my head all the technical stuff I know a client wont understand, so I struggle to get it all out in a way different to how I would with another nail tech iykwim,

Its almost as if I am busting with nail info some days...I want to get it all out...
Then others I doubt wether I am right a lot of the time...

Is confidence about personality or abilty do you think ?

Please share your experiences...I am sure we will all learn something If we all give our imput
Thankyou Geeks :hug:

 

[Enhanced-Barbie]

I have only been doing nails for about 8 months, been doing enhancements for about 6 months, and I feel relatively confident.
Maybe its personality? I seem to find anything arty comes quite naturally to me though, and while I know I am nowhere near the top of the tech industry, I know that I am a lot better than some people who have been doing them for a lot longer, and I keep progressing and getting better.
Also having clients who are happy with the finished product helps.

I am in no way saying that I am a really good nail tech or anything, but I am happy with the progress I've made thus far, and have no problem with people paying for me to work on their nails, as I know that I produce a reasonable standard of work.

 

[littlegrohl]

You know what i think your problem is.. and im only saying this cause i know its mine, and i know you enough to say it..

You dont rate YOURSELF high enough...
METAPHOR TIME!
whenever your in a room, you feel like you dont belong or ya aint good enough to be there.. that one day they will have you for the imposter you are and kick you out so to speak!


Its a classic case of low self esteem and self confidence.. your not crazy mate your completely normal..

I bet you can talk the talk and walk the walk of nail tech 101 with people you are comfortable with ie Wayne.. but when it comes to strangers, not so well yea?

Emma, since i joined, your work has gone from very good.. to spectacular..
I know this isnt a blog, and i should be answering the question.. and i will.. Its just you my friend, need a huge boost of confidence.. I think the reason you have divided opinion on your work is because your not afraid to try things out.. and of course some will work some wont.. thats the reason we try!

OK answering question..
I am confident in my work, because i know i follow all the basic procedures i have been taught.. I know i am getting better.. and I know im willing to learn everything i can..
but everything you just said screams ME.. im saying YES YES YES!! as im reading your thread..
Emma i have more front then Myer mate!!!
BUT
There are times when i cant get it right to save myself.. Having this place and geeks like you helps during those times.
xx

 

[grafxgal]

You know what i think your problem is.. and im only saying this cause i know its mine, and i know you enough to say it..

You dont rate YOURSELF high enough...
METAPHOR TIME!
whenever your in a room, you feel like you dont belong or ya aint good enough to be there.. that one day they will have you for the imposter you are and kick you out so to speak!


Its a classic case of low self esteem and self confidence.. your not crazy mate your completely normal..

I bet you can talk the talk and walk the walk of nail tech 101 with people you are comfortable with ie Wayne.. but when it comes to strangers, not so well yea?

Emma, since i joined, your work has gone from very good.. to spectacular..
I know this isnt a blog, and i should be answering the question.. and i will.. Its just you my friend, need a huge boost of confidence.. I think the reason you have divided opinion on your work is because your not afraid to try things out.. and of course some will work some wont.. thats the reason we try!

OK answering question..
I am confident in my work, because i know i follow all the basic procedures i have been taught.. I know i am getting better.. and I know im willing to learn everything i can..
but everything you just said screams ME.. im saying YES YES YES!! as im reading your thread..
Emma i have more front then Myer mate!!!
BUT
There are times when i cant get it right to save myself.. Having this place and geeks like you helps during those times.
xx

Ditto what she said.

 

['chelle]

Good thread! I've been doing nails just under a year, and I radiate confidence in the salon. My secret? Its all bluster.
I'm not happy with my work at all, my zone 1 application leaves a lot to be desired. I feel as though, at the moment, I'm riding along on the the basis that most clients cant tell bad work from good work, and by the time they might catch on, I will have done enough skill building and had enough experience to bring my work up to scratch!! Perhaps I'm being a bit harsh on myself, I wouldnt say my work is bad, but its distincly average, with the odd silly mistake made here and there.
The silly mistakes are good though, every time I make one, I think "ah, so thats what to avoid in future" and I dont do it again.

In my former profession, putting together a convincing case, and conveying it to a roomful of people in a confident manner was the crux of the job, so I've learned how to do this over a matter of years!

 

[~Emmsybabes~]

Thankyou for your replies,

I think confidence is a fantastic thing..
Its totally different from cocky...cocky isnt good
But confidence is fantastic....

I am also wondering if mabey because I have never had my own nails done Nor seen many other nail techs work..
I don't have much to compare my own work to..

So I spend hours searching the net admiring the work of Gigi and david folwler...glorsclaws To mention only a few,
THEN ....I go and look at my own work lol....and confidence dips...

Mabey I just have two personalities lol....

Don't get me wrong I don't look at my work and think omg thats rubbish...
I do sometimes look and think blimey Im goooooddd lol,
Or not even about the artistic side, when I had my 13 week rebalance lol...
I couldnt wait to come and tell you all, becauase I was very proud

I just .......ahhhhh I dunno lol,

Would just like to hear from some people who ooooze with the stuff :green:
It might rub off :lol:

 

[adelekeegan1]

I look as though I ooze confidence in my work but then I am a damned good actress.:lol:

I'm pretty sure even the best of the best, who know their work is brilliant, must have there 'off' days. I reckon confidence is a matter of practise like everything else, learning to recognize what is good, patting yourself on the back when you should, and telling yourself how much better you are than x weeks/months/years ago.

Sometimes I do a set of nails and think I should give up altogether and then looking round the town at the horrible nails you can see, gives me a bit of a lift.

 

[blossom]

So much of what you say Emma, rings true with me as well . . . although I try my hardest not to let it show. I think personality plays a big part, actually. Even if I can produce work better than Gigi's :lol: I'm NEVER going to be able to stand there and go . . . I'm just fab! Get a load of me! lol I'll be smiling shyly and saying "d'you think they're good then? Yeah, they're not bad, I'm fairly pleased" when inside I'd be BURSTING with pride but I just can't blow my own trumpet (wish I could).

But as long as I have a full(ish) book and satisfied clients, I'll be happy, I think . . . over half of them have been coming for 3 years or so now . . . I'm not saying there's no room for improvement, of course there is, but I'm trying to learn a bit of contentment for now :hug:

 

[~Emmsybabes~]

i suppose its down to detail too.....
we know every little tiny detail of the nails we have created, so we KNOW that little dip is there....or the smile line on one nail is slightly deeper than the others or even a petal on a flower isnt as good as the other 4 etc.......

So someone else would look at your work as a whole...wheres we see it as a disected nail...bit by bit, peice by peice...

 

[Bagpuss]

My confidence has just grown with time...I was scared stiff when i started and would sit waiting for the phone to to ring for days after doing a set of nails thinking they would all fall off. Then when they didn't ring i felt i needed to ring them to ask if they where ok...:lol:...but then i learnt that in this job, no news is good news. They only ring if somethings wrong !!

As more and more clients came back with nails intact and wanting to re-book my confidence grew.

I am not cocky at all, but i feel absolutely fine in saying to clients that they will have no problems as long as they look after them. I am confident in what i do and what i use.

The only time self doubt kicks in is when i do a set of nails and think "they could have been better"