Self-Trust for Musicians: How We Lose It and Begin to Rebuild It

S2 Ep #9: Self-trust might be one of the most quietly radical acts we can practice as artists — and honestly, as humans. It sounds simple, but for so many of us in this field, it's anything but. This episode is a reflection on something I've been circling all season long, and something I've wrestled with deeply in my own life: what it means to actually trust yourself, follow your gut, and stop outsourcing your own authority. This is a solo episode, and I'm sharing what I've learned — often the hard way — about how musicians and performers can lose that inner thread of self-trust, sometimes so gradually we don't even notice it happening. From the early days of handing our gifts over to teachers and institutions, to the slow replacement of curiosity with the pursuit of approval, I walk through what that drift looks like and why it runs so deep in our world. What I've come to believe is this: rebuilding self-trust isn't about making perfect decisions. It's about becoming someone who trusts themselves to handle whatever comes next — the wins, the losses, the uncertainty, and the in-between. The more I've practiced that in my own life, the more freedom I've found in my artistry. And I think that's available to you too. You'll Discover: Why musicians often lose self-trust early, and how the pursuit of praise can quietly replace the pursuit of curiosity The difference between seeking guidance and outsourcing your autonomy How perfectionism and the need for external approval are deeply linked for performers What self-abandonment can look like in your life and career, and why it tends to build slowly over time Why self-trust cannot be contingent on things going well, and what it actually means to trust yourself through failure How experiences outside of music helped Jo reconnect with her own instincts and strengthen her artistry A guided exercise from coach Martha Beck to help you distinguish between fear of the jump and your gut's true answer Timestamps: (00:00) welcome and podcast intro (00:32) introducing self-trust as this season's through line (02:54) when music stops being playful, how approval replaces curiosity (05:19) perfectionism, external focus, and losing your own voice slowly (07:42) Jo's personal experience outsourcing decisions, and what she learned (10:07) how going against your inner knowing erodes self-trust over time (12:33) fear, FOMO, and why failure gets pathologized in our industry (14:55) reframing self-trust: it's not about getting it right (17:24) people pleasing vs. being anchored in your own truth (19:51) Martha Beck's diving board exercise for navigating decisions (22:17) season two reflection and preview of the finale Resources Mentioned: The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown Untamed by Glennon Doyle Carol Dweck's fixed mindset concept Martha Beck's diving board decision-making exercise MindfulOpus Season 1 Ron Patterson finale episode MindfulOpus S2 Ep #2 with Jonathan Biss MindfulOpus S2 Ep #8 with Kayleigh Miller Interested in diving deeper into this work with me? Visit mindfulopus.com to learn how we can work together. MindfulOpus has a video podcast! Visit our YouTube channel to watch: youtube.com/@mindfulopus Come say hi over on Instagram @mindfulopus