Perhaps you knew at a young age you wanted to be a creator, an artist, or wanted to achieve big goals/dreams. When you told your family and friends your future plans, did they doubt or discourage you? Did you believe them? Did you pursue another path?
As we get older, our creative energy and encouragement can get pushed aside. Maybe we pushed it aside ourselves, or perhaps no one around you continued to assist in cultivating it.
This is an incredibly personal topic for me because I believed the negative voices for many years. If you still believe the cycle of old stories you keep telling yourself, then I want to share what has worked for me to move forward with my passion. I have made it a personal goal to inspire others to pursue their dreams as I go for mine.
Okay, so let’s get into it!
- Create a new inner dialogue and question the stories you've created.
Humans love a good story, and we are highly effective at telling ourselves fictitious and negative stories about ourselves. "I am not good at anything." "I'll never be rich." "My art will never sell." None of these stories are necessarily true, but our brains do a great job at convincing ourselves they are.
If these are your stories, we must create new ones, pronto! What are some truths about yourself? Positive traits or talents? Flaws? Write them down.
Realize you can improve, change, and grow your skills so that your stories will become:
"I did that!"
"I tried this new thing and I'm actually good at it."
"I am learning and I see improvements every day."
"I can have everything I want."
- Seek guidance, education, and like-minded people. Become confident in your skills by getting an education. There are tons of online courses for art, drawing, writing, etc. and a lot are free!
Check out your local groups on Facebook, find similar Instagram accounts and follow them for inspiration, reach out to these people personally if they aren’t giant influencers, they’ll usually write you back.
SN: One time, I wrote to a woman who ran her own clothing business that I admired and asked her for any advice for someone who was just beginning their business. Not only did she respond, but she sent me five voice recordings in my DM. It was not only kind but it was very encouraging. She shared things I’ve never forgotten. One thing she said to me that I loved; “Get inspired by others but always be original and be yourself”. I loved that advice. It reminded me that I always have something unique to bring and so do you!
Check out galleries, art walks, online courses, in-person classes, and even life coaches to get you on track and stay motivated.
The key is to surround yourself with other successful, positive, and motivated people so that you can emulate their success. This can take time to find these people, do not get discouraged if you can’t find them right away. They might be in unexpected places, so pay attention.
- Stop listening to other people! I cannot stress this enough! Listen to your gut, listen to your inner voice. Other people's doubts are NOT a reflection of who you are or what you are capable of.
Try meditating or workout to slow the cycle of these thoughts. When your mind is calm again, ask yourself again, is this real? The answer might be yes, some of this feels real. This is when you can stop, write down what is real, and some solutions to get past these obstacles. This can take practice so be patient with yourself.
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Begin a plan of attack to reach your goals and dreams. Get detailed in your plan. Break goals down into daily, weekly, and long-term.
Plans create paths, paths create purpose, and purpose helps you thrive!
Step 1: Grab a pen and some paper.
Step 2: Begin by writing down all of your long-term goals and big dreams. And be detailed!
Where do you want to live?
The car you drive?
What does your business look like in detail?
How much money do you want to make?
Don’t limit yourself, even if it feels out of reach, write it down. These are your dreams and goals, there are no rules. I’m not a vision board kind of person, but some people love a vision board, so go for it if that motivates you.
Step 3: Write down ways you can achieve those long-term goals. Enroll in classes, design your website, do extensive research, read books relevant to your goals, join the gym, etc.
Step 4: Now write down your short-term goals. Vacuum the house today, drink more water, get 10 new followers on social media, create one new piece of art, sign up for that online course, etc. You get the idea, things you can do today or in the next week.
“I will do A and B for sure, and if time allows for it, I will do C.”
“I will go run today.”
I schedule the time 5-6 pm for my run and 7-9 pm is when I work on my business. (When do I eat dinner you ask? Between 6-7 of course)
Do not beat yourself up or get overwhelmed when you do not finish it all because that will happen. Just roll it over to tomorrow’s list.
I use the Notes app on my phone to make my daily task list. The reason this works well is that I always have my phone with me and I can delete and reorder my list whenever necessary. Without my lists, I am a lost jumble of thoughts and ideas and I can’t remember a damn thing without them. Write it down!
- Just start creating! Start doing it! If you're waiting for the right moment, it will never come. If you have a lot on your plate, start small. Always move forward, and be brave!
Make deliberate choices with a set of intentions that lead you on a path to your goal. Don’t distract yourself by making other people’s lives more important than your own. Set healthy boundaries for yourself as you begin on your new creative journey. It’s been said before, but I’ll just say it again; you can’t be your best to those around you if you’re not taking care of your needs first. I grant thee permission to be a little selfish!
Working on yourself never ends. You will have moments where you are productive and highly motivated, and times when you make little progress. Just remind yourself every day WHY you want this and keep going!
Now get out there! Create today! You got this!