It doesn’t matter what you’re creating, it only matters that you are creating.
Remember when we were children and we’d spend hours drawing the most epic piece of art? Oh, the pride we felt in presenting that artwork to our parents! And the elated joy at seeing that art hanging on the fridge – a place of honor for the entire family to see and admire.
Whatever happened to that sense of wonder? The pure joy of creating. Why do we judge ourselves so harshly or compare our creation to that of someone else? Why do we let comparison steal our joy?
Your sketchbook, journal, or planner is a place to express your own creativity. Maybe you’ve drawn an elaborate illustration that took you hours to complete. But it could just as easily be an idea you need to write down before you forget so you dash off a scribbled note at the bottom of your grocery list and stuff it in your pocket. Only to find that note weeks later … and it spurs inspiration anew.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how neat or sloppy your journal is. Maybe you use a ruler to draw a straight line. Maybe straight lines aren’t your thing and you like wobbly ones instead. Maybe your flowers look more like scarecrows or your calligraphy resembles the work of a 2nd grader. Maybe you don’t know the proper way to use watercolor, but you love the effect of plopping pools of color on your journaling page because it makes you happy to write on paper filled with color.
That joy you had as a child … it’s still inside you. Stop worrying so much about what others think. Silence the voices in your head that say you’re not good enough. It doesn’t matter if your lines are crooked or your handwriting is sloppy. It doesn’t matter if you voice trembles when you’re singing in front of an audience. It doesn’t matter if every photo you take isn’t perfect. What matters is that you are creating.
The tools we use are as varied as the types of creations we make. A pencil, marker, or paint brush. A camera, a hammer, or a computer mouse. It’s your voice, or words on the page or notes strummed on a guitar. Maybe your tool is your kindness, a smile for a stranger, a note of encouragement for a friend, or a bowl of soup for a hungry neighbor. The tool doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are making something. You’re making art. You’re making music. You’re making poetry and houses and films. You’re making a difference.
You are using your imagination, your heart, and soul, your own two hands … and you’re creating something that never existed before. There’s nothing small about that. You are no small creator. No! Creating is a huge thing! What you’re making is amazing!
We’re all in this together. It’s time to lift each other up and cheer each other on. Celebrate what your fellow creator is making. Rather than comparing ourselves to others … let’s stand in awe of the fact that we are all creators. We are not small. We are mighty. We are powerful. Joining together to make the world a more beautiful place to live.
I am no small creator.
You are no small creator.
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