11 Fascinating and Real Ways Creative Hobbies Increase Women's Self-Confidence

You’ve probably heard the term “get a hobby”. While it might not have been said in the nicest way, this is actually great advice. We all need to “get a hobby”. Hobbies enrich our lives in so many ways and one of those ways is that they can help us build self-confidence. By engaging in a creative hobby you are not only learning or improving a skill, but you’re also nurturing a deeper sense of self-worth. Hobbies are a low-stakes way to build more confidence because it is something to do in your free time for your own enjoyment. There are no deadlines or pressure. Just you and something you enjoy doing.

When I first started cross stitching during the pandemic, I thought it was just something to do. But it became so much more. Poking a needle and thread through fabric started to empower me. I started with a little kit from my local craft store that was a few dollars. I did it completely wrong, but still at the end I had finished a picture which felt amazing! I created something with my own two hands, and nothing could take that away from me!

Cross stitch and all my creative hobbies have helped to shape me more into a confident, mindful, resilient person. And I want that for you too. You don’t need any special talents for these creative hobbies. And you don’t even need to consider yourself “creative” and “artistic”, because I’m here to tell you that if you are making something regardless of what it is or looks like then you are creative and artistic.

1. Self-Expression: having a creative hobby allows you to express yourself in your own unique way by picking out materials, colors, and patterns. Once your work is completed you can proudly display it in your space, which can help you embrace your individuality even more. Displaying it means you get to pick the framing method and where to place it allowing more creativity into your life.

2. Overcoming perfectionism: Perfectionism has held many people back from being more confident and going after their dreams. But remember me telling you how I completely messed up my first cross stitch? I had no idea what I was doing, and it did not turn out perfect. But the feeling of completing something outweighed my fear of perfectionism. I had to experiment and make mistakes with cross stitching to get to where I am now with it, which is leaps and bounds ahead of where I was. Learning to embrace this process fosters self-acceptance and reduces the fear of failure.

3. Skill development: As you begin to improve in your hobby and gain mastery over it, this will naturally boost your confidence in your abilities. When I was able to take what I learned from my first cross stitch and use it in my next project my confidence increased. My second project turned out better than the first one. It was also a small kit from my local craft store. Over time, as I continued to learn and master this hobby, I was able to take on bigger, more complex patterns because my confidence in my ability continuously increased.

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4. Setting and achieving a goal: This is a huge way to build confidence. Almost nothing feels better than achieving something you’ve been working towards. It gives a huge sense of accomplishment which strengthens your belief in yourself and your abilities. Having a creative hobby forces you to set a goal, such as I will learn this new technique, or I will finish this project. When you achieve these goals, it’s like your brain gives you a high-five. You accomplished something with your own abilities and resourcefulness.

5. Positive feedback: We all love compliments. They almost instantly boost our confidence because it makes it easier to believe in ourselves when someone else believes in us. My first-year of cross stitching, my parents got cross stitch signs for Christmas. Looking at them now, years later, makes me giggle. My parents thought they were incredible. But between us, they weren’t that great. The spacing was off, all the stitches were going in different directions, and I didn’t use enough strands. But thanks to the encouragement from my family, I continued stitching because I believed, thanks to them, that I was a phenomenal stitcher. Now I make them much better-quality signs. Just make sure when you show your project to someone, it’s someone you trust and know will build you up. Please don’t sabotage yourself by showing it to someone you know won’t care. I didn’t give cross stitch signs to my entire family because I knew not everyone would appreciate them. But I knew my parents would love them.

6. Stress relief: Creative hobbies are excellent for stress-relief. They help make you feel more relaxed because you’re doing something you enjoy for your own enjoyment (which is a beautiful thing) and they help take your focus off of worries. Spending more time in this relaxed, less stressed mindset can help boost your overall mood and outlook by releasing endorphins and dopamine. You are in a happier, calmer state when doing your hobby which leads to sense of well-being.

7. Problem solving skills: Having a creative hobby often requires you to think outside the box and find new solutions. By strengthening your problem-solving skills you are boosting your confidence in tackling life’s challenges. Besides cross stitch, I also enjoy diamond art. I recently saw a post where someone discovered they could use zip-ties to create straighter lines in their diamond art. What a creative solution to the problem of crooked diamond art lines! Other people chimed in on the post of their own creative solutions to this problem. They all thought outside the box and solved their own problem and helped others by sharing the information they gained. By solving one challenge you start to build confidence that you can solve other, more complex challenges.

8. Building resilience: Creative hobbies require persistence and patience. You’re probably not going to be amazing at your hobby the first time you attempt it (i.e. my cross-stitch story) More than likely there will be at least minor setbacks and obstacles. By continuing with your hobby despite the setbacks and obstacles, you are building emotional resilience. Building emotional resiliency helps you to feel more empowered to overcome other obstacles. You are strengthening your belief and confidence in your capabilities.

9. Increased focus and mindfulness: Creative hobbies are an excellent way to encourage more mindfulness. They help you to stay in the present moment because they typically require most if not all your focus. By staying in the present moment, you are reducing anxiety and building self-awareness and self-assurance in your ability to focus and stay calm. By being focused on the task in front of you, you are not thinking about your negative self-talk or perceived faults. Whenever I notice myself drifting back to negative thoughts while I stitch, I will bring my attention back to the project in my hands and notice more closely all the details of creating a cross-stitch sign.

10. Connection with others: Something that I truly love about creative hobbies is their ability to connect you with other people who have similar interests. By joining groups, even online) helps to create a sense of belonging and provides support and encouragement which helps to build confidence. Groups are also a great place to share your work for positive feedback. I joined a cross stitch group and now my husband and I regularly have game nights with one of the other members and her husband. My cross stitch group also does secret santa and we all pitch in to get each other birthday gifts. In my cross stitch group we’re all pattern designers. Whenever one of us is feeling insecure about a pattern, the group will offer encouragement and constructive feedback. I really cherish my cross stitch group and all the support they’ve given me.

11. Personal growth: Trying a new creative hobby pushes you out of your comfort zone. Outside of your comfort zone is where you grow. Having a creative hobby helps you to enhance your belief in yourself and your potential. You start to become a more confident person because you now know you can accomplish a goal, stay focused, overcome obstacles, problem solve challenges, and develop new skills. You should be very proud of yourself!

If you feel inspire to start a new creative hobby check out my post on 11 Easy Creative Hobbies to Start Today to Boost Your Confidence. Let me know which one you choose and how your progress is going!