analog collage “Inside, everything is screaming” made by @ayhumaazona
Last week, we talked about the danger of mistaking where you are right now in our life with the potential we have for being on a different path tomorrow. If you skipped this article, you can read it here.
I’ve kept thinking about that over the past week, and for me, the ramifications of this thought are worth exploring on a deeper level. So I wanted to start by asking: do you know the exact number of times you had an idea that inspired you at first glance but that you didn’t follow through on? I know this answer is as impossible as coming up with the lottery-winning numbers on a whim.
And let me reassure you, this question is not supposed to make you feel bad about yourself. This is a common dilemma that we all keep facing in our lives, and I too have my fair share of great ideas put aside.
But the point I want to make is what if, instead of perceiving the unborn ideas we accumulate in our lives as a sign of failure, we take a step back and look at those multiple ideas for what they really are: the proof that we're actually pretty creative and that we hold within ourselves the key to a more fulfilling life.
Now that we have established this new mindset goal, the question we need to ask next is: how do we open up to ourselves, allowing our full potential to unfold? Well, as much as I would love to be able to give you a step-by-step list with a 100% chance of success, the truth is that I too am in the process of finding the answer.
What I can say is that I believe this quest will bring us to a place of trial and error, and to get through to the other side, it’s important that we embrace our vulnerability in this process.
I know that we often mistake vulnerability for being weak or less capable, but when approached in the right way, vulnerability can be turned into a strength — helping you connect with people who are on a similar path or who have been there before. It’s also the key to accessing your authenticity and living a life that feels right for you.
The hidden cost of comparison
I first started taking an interest in topics like mindset, personal growth, and creative potential about five years ago. This led me to wanting to discover a new way of approaching life. In the meantime, I’ve read really inspiring books, watched many TED Talks, had countless vulnerable conversations with my boyfriend and friends, and listened to hours of podcasts.
I thought that this alone would give me all the pieces of the puzzle, but when I found myself stuck in a creative block for more than three years, it made me question what I was missing.
The more I looked at it, the clearer it became to me that comparison played a big role in keeping me creatively stuck in my art practice and in making myself smaller and smaller in my relationships — both personal and professional.
In my case, I was constantly comparing myself to artists and independent journalists I admired. And even though my comparison didn’t come from a place of envy, it was paralyzing because I looked at everything those amazing people had done before me and felt so far from the version of myself that would be capable of achieving similar results that I didn’t even bother putting myself out there.
I kept looking for excuses not to do what I needed to do. I looked the other way, and it only made me miserable. Because the longer I waited to start living the life of my dreams, the further I got from the path that would shape me into becoming a good match for my dream life.
The unfair race we keep running
Maybe you’re reading this and thinking that this is way too personal to share in a newsletter, but I will take that risk because I truly believe that we can all learn and benefit from others' experiences. And I know that you too have been comparing yourself probably your whole life, and that putting comparison on mute is what will make you take a chance on yourself.
Usually, when we compare ourselves, the lesson we assimilate in our minds is that someone else is already doing something similar to what we thought about, and they are doing it quite successfully, so why start? Why take the chance of failure?
Well, let me remind you that we are about 8 billion people on this planet, so there will always be lots of people in different places thinking something similar to you and putting it into action.
But even if your projects or ideas look alike, they will never be the same. Because your way of seeing the world is unique, and that’s what will make the whole difference in creating something truly yours.
If we were in a video game, comparison would be like the dragon guarding the dungeon. So how do you get past it? For me, I started taking an interest in the process of becoming — mine and that of the individuals I tend to compare myself to.
To simplify it, I started consciously looking at the age of the people I was comparing myself with, how long they had been doing the things I wished I was doing too, where they were geographically, and, when possible, what personal phase of their lives they were living.
When I started looking at it from a rational point of view, I realized that I wasn’t giving myself any real chance of motivating myself to take action and actually do something.
I came to the conclusion that I was ignoring my personal progress, where I came from, and forgetting to celebrate all my small and big wins.
When I compared myself to someone who was 10 years older than me, for instance, It was like comparing myself to a runner in a 1000-meter race who had started 200 meters ahead of me. It wasn’t a fair comparison, yet it was something I had been doing for a long time. And I bet it’s something you do too. And believe me, it’s something that the person you compare yourself to is probably doing as well or has done at some point in their life.
The Challenge: take one step forward
Let’s suppose we manage to get past the dragon — well, your work doesn’t end here. It is just beginning. To get yourself in motion, I propose a challenge. What if, this week, we all choose one idea we put in the drawer and give it a try?
Because in order to find our voice, we need to try, knowing that some attempts will fail. But the sooner we embrace failure, the sooner we'll learn from our mistakes, refine our process, gain confidence, and bring to life the ideas that truly resonate with us, leading to the results we’ve been striving for.
For me, I will go back to the 30 day drawing challenge I mentioned in this article here. But instead of jumping in all the way, I’m giving myself a softer start with just 7 days to begin with. Let me know in the comments which idea you’ll give a try. I’d love to hear!
Beats of inspiration
Here’s a short list to inspire you!
I fell into a bit of a trance watching the photo album made by Kit Davey. She used vintage photographs in such a playful, psychedelic way, that it felt like flipping through a dream. You can see it here.
I stumbled upon an analog photo of Chiang Mai embroidered by Joanna Skowronska, and it instantly brought me back to my trip to Thailand two years ago. The softness and precision of her stitches made me pause, smile, and drift off a little. You can see it here.
I always love seeing what Ælfleda shares about her creative journey. Last week, she posted something about the invisible ideas that quietly hold us back. It resonated so deeply, and ties in beautifully with the spirit of today’s newsletter. You can see it here.
This embroidered sailboat by Gabriel Debailly was another favorite this week. The detail and care he put into it really struck me. As we work on opening our Etsy shop together, seeing his work reminded me how powerful it is to be surrounded by people who push you to do better just by doing what they love. You can see it here.
What about you? Share what sparked your inspiration in the comments and let’s keep the creative energy flowing. After all, creativity thrives on connection.
Let’s build something together
While writing today’s newsletter, I had the idea of creating a group where we can support each other, share our ideas, name our fears so they lose their power over us, and inspire each other to start. If this is something you’d be interested in, you can reply to this newsletter, and together let’s give it a go!
Liked today’s newsletter? Don’t forget to share this text with a friend that could use a creative push <3