Why embracing the experimental phase is the fastest way to build lasting confidence.
The most radical act you can perform as a young leader is to refuse to be discouraged by the silence that often follows a first attempt. When we launch a project, we expect a symphony of validation, but often, what we get is a quiet room and a few hard lessons. This is not a sign that you have failed; it is a sign that you have begun. We must reframe our relationship with time and error if we want to build something that lasts. The future belongs to those who can look at a setback not as a wall, but as a pivot point.
Discouragement often stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of how creative systems grow. We are surrounded by stories of overnight success, which are almost always myths that erase years of invisible labor. For a grassroots organization, every mistake is actually a high-speed education. When a workshop doesn’t fill up or a grant is denied, you are gaining specific, actionable data about your community and your methods. This is the why of our struggle: we are learning the terrain. If you never hit a bump, you aren’t actually moving through the real world; you’re just staying on the paved path that someone else already built.
To maintain your momentum, you must adopt the mindset of the Infinite Prototype. Instead of viewing your organization as a finished monument, view it as a living laboratory. When you label a project an experiment rather than a definitive statement, you lower the psychological stakes. This allows you to try things that are genuinely bold or even a little bit crazy. Want to host a gallery show in a transit station? Want to replace your board meetings with a community potluck? Try it. If it fails, the experiment phase is over and you move to the next one. This approach builds a unique kind of confidence: the knowledge that you can handle whatever happens next.
Confidence is not a prerequisite for leadership; it is a byproduct of action. Many young leaders wait until they feel ready before they take a big leap. But the feeling of being ready is often an illusion. Real confidence comes from the muscle memory of trying, failing, and adjusting. It is the quiet knowledge that even if the lights go out or the funding falls through, you have the creative capacity to find a new way forward. You don’t get that from a textbook; you get it from the messy, unpolished reality of doing the work day after day.
As you navigate this, remember that time is your most patient collaborator. The world is obsessed with speed, but the most impactful arts movements are slow-cooked. They are built on years of showing up, even when it feels like no one is watching. If you are feeling discouraged today, zoom out. Look at where you were six months ago versus where you are now. The progress might be subtle—a new connection, a clearer vision, a thicker skin—but it is real.
The future you are building is worth the wait. Every mistake you make is a deposit into your future expertise. Every time you pick yourself up after a disappointment, you are strengthening the foundation of your organization. Stay curious, stay bold, and give yourself permission to be a work in progress. The world doesn’t need more perfect institutions; it needs more leaders who are brave enough to be human, to be messy, and to keep going anyway. Your persistence is your greatest creative asset.
Northern Arts and Regional Innovation
This is a collaborative initiative by The Arts Incubator Winnipeg and the Art Borups Corners art collective, supporting artists and creative projects in Melgund Township, Northwestern Ontario. Our groups champion rural arts development, community programming, Indigenous arts partnerships, and cultural innovation—strengthening the local and regional arts sector through mentorship, exhibitions, digital media, and sustainable creative entrepreneurship. Our events and activities include artists from Melgund Township, Winnipeg, Ignace, Sioux Lookout, Dryden, and beyond. You read more innovation-focused posts here.
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