From Self-Doubt to Sawdust: How to Build Creative Confidence in the Workshop

Lauren Twitchell
Jul 16
5 min read

How to Build Creative Confidence in the Workshop

Let’s start with the truth:

Starting something new is scary.

You might find yourself scrolling through Instagram, watching time-lapse videos of perfectly built furniture and crisp miters and polished surfaces. Everyone makes it look effortless. Their shops are pristine, their cuts are flawless, and their confidence seems unshakable.

Meanwhile, you’re over here wondering which end of the drill bit goes in first.

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone.

You’re precisely the kind of maker Third Shift Crafts was created for.

Whether you’re building your very first project or trying to get back into woodworking after a long break, this post is your reminder that you belong in the workshop. Not someday. Not when you’ve learned more. Not after you’ve mastered a miter saw.

Now. As you are.

“Who Do You Think You Are?”

It’s a sneaky little voice.

That moment when your hands hover over a tool and your brain pipes up with,

“What if I mess this up?”

“You’re not good at this.”

“You don’t belong here.”

That inner critic doesn’t show up because you’re doing something wrong. It shows up because you’re doing something brave.

Trying something new.

Building something from nothing.

Making space for your creativity.

And in a world that hasn’t always encouraged women to build, fix, and create with power tools—it’s no wonder that confidence feels hard to come by.

But here’s what we believe at Third Shift Crafts:

Woodworking is not just for the experienced.

It’s not just for men.

It’s not just for the naturally “crafty.”

It’s for anyone who wants to build—including you.

Why We Struggle With Creative Confidence

Before we get into how to boost confidence, let’s name why it’s often missing in the first place. Especially for women entering woodworking, these three standard blocks tend to show up:

1. Comparison Culture

You start with a beginner project…and then you open Pinterest. Suddenly, your beginner shelf feels pitiful next to that custom oak console with hidden joinery and waterfall edges.

Social media is full of incredible makers—but it doesn’t show the hours of learning, the piles of scrap wood, or the early days filled with mistakes. You’re comparing your Day 1 to someone else’s Year 5. It’s not a fair fight.

2. Fear of Mistakes

Many of us grew up in environments where mistakes were punished—not celebrated. So when you cut a board too short or drive a screw in crooked, it can feel like a failure.

But woodworking, like any creative process, requires mistakes. That’s how you learn. Every uneven cut teaches you something. Every glue disaster sharpens your instincts for next time.

Mistakes aren’t failures.

They’re feedback.

3. Believing You’re “Not Creative”

This one is prevalent among women who didn’t grow up building things. Maybe you were told you weren’t the “creative type.” Perhaps you always felt more logical or organized—or maybe someone in your life made you feel like creativity just wasn’t your thing.

Here’s a truth bomb for you:

Creativity isn’t something you’re born with.

It’s something you build.

Just like confidence. Just like skill. Just like everything else in the workshop.

Confidence Comes From Creation

We often wait to feel confident before we start something.

But the secret?

Confidence doesn’t come before. It comes after.

You won’t magically wake up one day with all the skills and zero fear. That voice of doubt might still whisper in your ear. But if you keep going anyway—if you pick up the drill, clamp the boards, and make the cut—you’ll find your confidence waiting for you on the other side.

Every project you finish, no matter how imperfect or straightforward, is a building block. You’re not just building shelves or trays or birdhouses.

You’re building belief in yourself.

5 Ways to Boost Your Confidence in the Workshop

Let’s talk about real, actionable things you can do to build creative confidence—right now, with the tools and skills you already have.

1. Track Your Wins (Even the Small Ones)

Create a woodworking journal, digital photo album, or even a scrapwood shelf with dates on the back. Take photos of everything you build—yes, even the “ugly” ones. Especially those.

When you look back in a few weeks or months, you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come. You’ll start to see patterns, improvements, and lessons learned—and you’ll remind yourself: I’m growing. I’m learning. I’m doing it.

Try this: After each project, write down one thing you learned and one thing you’re proud of. That’s it.

2. Take Up Space—Physically and Mentally

You don’t need a fancy garage setup or a wall full of tools to build something incredible. But you do deserve a space that feels like yours.

Whether it’s a folding table, a rolling cart, or just a corner of your apartment with a clamp-on vise—claim it. Set it up intentionally. Organize your tools. Put up a quote or photo that reminds you you’re a builder.

Because you are.

And if anyone in your life treats your hobby like it’s “just a little thing” you’re doing?

Build louder.

3. Talk Kindly to Yourself

We are our own worst critics. But here’s the question: Would you say the things you say to yourself…to a friend?

Would you tell your best friend, “You’re terrible at this,” after she built her first shelf?

No?

Then stop saying it to yourself.

Woodworking is a craft. It takes time, repetition, and patience. You’re allowed to be a beginner. You’re allowed to struggle. You’re allowed not to get it perfect the first time—or the fifth.

So next time you mess up a cut, try saying this instead:

“I’m learning. And learning is messy.”

4. Celebrate Mistakes Like Milestones

Did you drill the pocket hole right through the face of your board?

Did your shelf end up a little wobbly?

Congratulations—you’re in the club.

Every mistake you make means you’re doing it. You’re not just watching videos or pinning ideas. You’re building. You’re trying. You’re learning.

At Third Shift Crafts, we keep a little section of our shop called the “Wall of Oops.” It’s a reminder that mistakes aren’t something to hide—they’re part of the journey. And sometimes, they lead to the most creative solutions.

So go ahead—mess up. And then keep going.

5. Find a Supportive Community

There’s something powerful about being surrounded by people who get it. Who know what it’s like to strip a screw, run out of clamps, or question themselves before hitting “Buy” on a new tool.

Look for online woodworking groups (especially those geared toward women), local maker meetups, or even hashtags like #womenwhobuild or #beginnerwoodworker on Instagram.

Cheering someone else on will make you braver, too.

And if you haven’t heard it lately:

We’re cheering for you. Always.

Third Shift Reminder: You Belong Here

That beautiful, confident builder you admire?

She once held a drill for the first time.

She once Googled “how to sand wood.”

She once questioned herself, too.

Confidence doesn’t come in a box. It doesn’t show up just because you bought the “right” tool or followed the perfect plan. It comes from showing up. Trying. Finishing things. Learning from the rough spots.

You don’t need permission to create.

You don’t need a perfect workshop.

You don’t need to know everything before you start.

You need to remember:

“I can do this. And I’m doing it my way.”

One project at a time.

Keep Building, Keep Becoming

If you’re reading this, it means there’s a part of you that’s ready to build. Maybe it’s tiny and nervous. Perhaps it’s bold and exciting. Maybe it’s somewhere in between.

Wherever you are, we’re glad you’re here.

At Third Shift Crafts, we’re building more than projects. We’re building community. Confidence. Courage. And a new generation of women who pick up power tools and say,

“Yes, I can.”

And you know what?

You already have.

✨ Want more encouragement, tutorials, and project ideas? Head over to ThirdShiftCrafts.com or follow us @ThirdShiftCrafts on Instagram. We’re here to help you grow—no matter where you’re starting.