Learning to draw is as easy as 1, 2, 3… right? But what if your drawing isn’t as good as someone else’s drawing? What if you don’t get any Likes on your post of your drawing or no one shares it with others? Does that mean your time was wasted? Not at all!
In our interconnected world of social media, many fall victim to comparing themselves to others. Now, this is by no means a new phenomenon, but we are much more hyper-aware of it thanks to the internet and social media. We have Pinterest moms who strive to mimic the amazing arts and crafts they find on their boards. There are Twitter accounts that have millions of followers and – sometimes – 140 characters of never-ending “wisdom.”YouTube videos go viral all the time, but not always for the reason it was posted. And let’s not forget the Facebook fan base that your company page can gain (and lose).
All that to say, why are we so focused on the number of followers we have, the total ‘Likes’ we get on Facebook, who retweets us, or how many shares our Pinterest posts get? Why do we care so much? Why is social media the judge and jury on our creative potential?
Everyone is creative in their own way. Some are creative artists (and CAN draw a the ‘perfect’ dog), while others are creative in the kitchen or photo studio, and still others who are creative in the world of business. We should not create our worth by comparing ourselves to others on social media (or offline).
Don’t be afraid to post your sketches, even if they are imperfect. Don’t shy away from posting a pic of the wedding cake you designed, even if it might not land you on Cake Boss or might land you on Cake Wrecks. Don’t be afraid of what others ‘like’ on social media – letting that stop you from posting something. Be yourself and allow you (or your company’s) voice to shine through.
You never know, you might be the one who inspires.
Sure, the old saying is: “Practice makes perfect.” But what exactly is ‘perfect’? Who defines perfection? Your perfect drawing might not be someone else’s definition of perfection, but it’s YOURS. Your perfect event plan might be criticized by others, but the event was a success because of YOUR plan. Your perfect dinner party might not appease everyone in attendance, but it’s the best party YOU’VE ever hosted. Not everyone will ‘like’ what you bring to the table, but who cares? Don’t be afraid of what other people think of you. Just be your creative self and let your work and your excitement for that work shine brighter than what others think. It’s as easy as 1-2-3!
In all honestly, I had to overcome a little fear just to start doing this blog. But, I’m going to continue to share my thoughts on business, life and design, as well as post my imperfect sketches and projects online. I hope you continue to share your ideas and creativity as well, and that your creative potential is not limited by fear or worry about what others think.
Side note: You can see some of my imperfect sketches and designs on Instagram here.
