Episode 106: How to Overcome Fear of Visibility as an Artist or Creative Entrepreneur

15 December 2025 | Paint Rest Repeat Podcast for Artists

TL;DR: This blog explores how fear of visibility affects sensitive creatives and why nervous system regulation - not just mindset - holds the key to creative confidence. Based on insights from Anna Holtzman’s interview on the Paint Rest Repeat podcast.

How to Trust Yourself as an Artist with Anna Holtzman

Why does sharing your work feel so vulnerable even when you want to be seen? In this episode, Ros chats with therapist-turned-coach Anna Holtzman about the nervous system's surprising role in creative confidence. Anna shares how chronic pain and burnout led her to a deeper understanding of fear, and the tools she now uses to help sensitive creatives show up without spiraling. If you’ve ever gone into hiding after hitting post, this conversation will change how you see yourself… and your fear.

Let's dive in!

Here for the links referenced in the episode?

Plan your most creative year yet with the 2026 Permission to Paint Planner - the BEST version yet, created with real artists in mind. Get yours here!

Anna’s Free Workshop - Let Yourself Be Seen https://www.annaholtzman.com/beseen 

Anna’s Podcast - How to Trust Yourself: real, raw chats on fear, creativity and healing https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-trust-yourself-overcome-imposter-syndrome-feel/id1679033028 

Anna on Instagram - Connect with Anna and join the visibility conversation https://www.instagram.com/anna_holtzman

Episode 106: Listen using the player below, or click on your favourite listening platform to subscribe and listen there:

Introduction: Why Visibility Feels So Vulnerable for Creatives

As artists and creative entrepreneurs, we often dream of being seen, recognised, and valued for our work. But when the moment comes to share it—to hit post, publish, launch—an unexpected fear creeps in. Why is that?

According to therapist-turned-coach Anna Holtzman, the fear of visibility isn’t just about confidence. It’s about the nervous system. In Episode 106 of the Paint Rest Repeat podcast, Anna joins host Ros Gervay for a deeply insightful conversation on why showing up can feel so unsafe, how our bodies respond to perceived threats, and how to work with those fears rather than against them.

In this blog post, we'll explore key takeaways from that conversation, including nervous system-informed strategies to help you move through visibility fear and show up for your creative work without spiralling into self-doubt.

What Is Fear of Visibility in Artists and Creatives?

Fear of visibility is more than shyness or social anxiety. It’s the deep-rooted fear of being judged, misunderstood, or rejected when we put our creative selves out into the world.

Anna explains that this fear is especially common among highly sensitive people—the same people who are often drawn to creative pursuits. Sensitivity enhances our capacity for empathy, beauty, and imagination, but it also means we process feedback and criticism more intensely.

Visibility, then, can feel like an emotional risk. And for many, that perceived risk sends the nervous system into a protective response: anxiety, avoidance, perfectionism, or even physical symptoms like migraines or fatigue.

Why the Nervous System Reacts to Creative Visibility

Anna shares her own story of making a documentary film early in her career. After receiving glowing press coverage and even an interview on live radio, she stumbled upon a single scathing blog review. It tore her down—not just her work, but her character.

Her nervous system responded by freezing. She didn’t consciously decide to stop promoting her film; she just gradually withdrew. Years later, she realised it wasn’t failure or lack of talent that held her back—it was a trauma response.

"I didn't have the language back then," Anna says, "but now I understand it was a freeze response."

When we step into visibility, our bodies can interpret it as danger. Historically, being seen by the tribe could mean being targeted, shamed, or cast out. This ancient wiring still exists, especially in those with heightened nervous system sensitivity.

How Fear of Visibility Can Disguise Itself in Creative Work

One of the most surprising insights Anna offers is that fear doesn’t always look like panic.

Sometimes, fear wears a subtler mask:

• Sudden disinterest in a project you were excited about yesterday
• A voice telling you the idea isn’t "good enough"
• Perfectionism, procrastination, or constantly "reworking" things

These patterns are often strategies your nervous system uses to keep you safe from perceived risk. But instead of labelling them as self-sabotage, Anna suggests approaching them with curiosity and compassion.

Healing Creative Blocks Isn't About Eliminating Fear

A key reframe in this episode is that we don’t need to banish fear in order to move forward. In fact, trying to suppress or fight fear can backfire.

"If I try to lock my fear in a closet, it freaks out," Anna explains. "It behaves like a frightened puppy that needs soothing."

She describes a practice of self-parenting: treating your fear with the same gentleness you’d offer a child. Instead of shutting it down, get curious. Ask:

• What is this fear trying to protect me from?
• What other emotions are underneath?
• What does this part of me need to feel safe?

This form of emotional regulation is especially powerful for creatives who rely on vulnerability to do their best work.

The Link Between Creativity and Nervous System Safety

Another important takeaway: creativity thrives in safety.

Ros shares how tension in her personal life affects her ability to paint. If she’s feeling emotionally unsettled, her creative flow diminishes. Anna validates this experience, noting that openness—the state needed for creative expression—requires a regulated nervous system.

"Creativity is a risk," she says. "It’s vulnerable. And for sensitive people, we need to feel safe to access that part of ourselves."

This is why understanding your nervous system matters more than just "thinking positively" or forcing yourself to push through.

5 Tools to Overcome Fear of Visibility as a Creative

So what can you do when fear of visibility starts creeping in?

Here are a few tools Anna recommends:

1. Awareness: Recognise that fear can wear many disguises. Awareness is the first step to creating space between the fear and your actions.
2. Dialogue with Your Fear: Journaling can be powerful. Ask your fear what it wants you to know, what it’s protecting you from, and what it needs.
3. Tend to Your Inner Child: Many fears stem from early life experiences. Remembering and comforting your younger self can help release shame and restore self-trust.
4. Practice Visibility in Safe Spaces: Start small. Share your work in spaces where you feel seen and supported. Gradual exposure builds confidence.
5. Nervous System Regulation: Techniques like breathwork, grounding, movement, or working with a trauma-informed coach or therapist can support your body in feeling safer.

Why Creative Visibility Matters (Even if It Feels Scary)

Visibility isn’t just about promotion or making sales. It’s about connection. It’s about allowing your work to do what it was made to do: resonate with others.

As Anna says, "Our creativity wants to be shared. But our fear wants to protect us. We can honour both."

If you’ve been hiding, second-guessing, or shrinking your creative voice, you’re not alone. And you’re not broken. There’s a path forward that doesn’t require you to push harder or fake confidence. It starts with listening inward and learning to trust yourself.

About Anna Holtzman: Creative Coach & Nervous System Guide

Anna Holtzman is a New York-based coach and former therapist who helps sensitive creatives and entrepreneurs overcome fear of visibility and bring their true work into the world. With a background in TV, publishing, and mind-body healing, she brings a trauma-informed, nervous system-focused approach to creative confidence.

She’s also the host of the How to Trust Yourself podcast and offers a free visibility workshop, Let Yourself Be Seen, at thenewdevine.com.

Final Thoughts: Learn to Trust Yourself as a Creative

If there’s one message that lands most deeply in this episode, it’s this:

You can trust yourself.

You can trust your creative instincts. You can trust your timing. And even when fear shows up, it doesn’t mean you’re off course. It just means you care.

Start where you are. Move gently. And know that visibility doesn’t have to feel like a threat. It can be an invitation.

FAQs: Fear of Visibility and Creative Confidence

What is the fear of visibility in creatives?

It’s the fear of being judged, rejected, or shamed when sharing personal work. Often rooted in nervous system responses and past experiences.

How does the nervous system affect creative confidence?

When your body perceives visibility as a threat, it can trigger anxiety, avoidance, or freeze responses that make sharing your work feel unsafe.

How can artists overcome imposter syndrome?

Through self-awareness, nervous system regulation, and practices like inner child work or journaling dialogues with fear.

What are nervous system tools for visibility fear?

Breathwork, grounding exercises, safe exposure to visibility, and trauma-informed coaching are key tools.

Can fear be used as a guide instead of an obstacle?

Yes. When approached with curiosity, fear can highlight areas for growth and lead you back to self-trust.

If you’re ready for more personalised support in building your art business, there are plenty of ways we can work together — from self-paced courses and practical resources to memberships and masterminds. Reach out here.

That’s it for this episode. I’m so glad we could share this time together. Remember — every small step you take brings you closer to the artist you’re becoming.

Ros x