"there are too many people doing it already."
"the market is over-saturated."
"what is your market? who is your audience? (you should know this!)"
"who would be interested in what you have to share?"
"you'll make so many mistakes, why start?"
"your words: they're too cliche."
"your style: it's overdone."
"your voice: it's too naive."
"your ______: it's _______."
——
somedays, it's hard to quiet the loudness inside. it's difficult, as a dreamer, to have so many passions, hobbies, favorites. so many things ideas i constantly want to pursue, projects i want to start, things i want to try.
and somedays, it's hard to hear anything other than ringing thoughts of doubt, of (maybe?) failure, of knowing there are millions of other humans on this planet, many of them who have already done all the things i love, that i want to do, want to try.
it's hard, yes, but i can i let you in on something? a small secret, if you will?
so far, i have started and stopped 9 different blogs. nine. (i think i remembered them all.)
i occasionally take to cooking or baking and debate whether it could be more than a hobby someday.
i started (and stopped, for now) an apparel & accessory online shop.
i have had countless hobbies in my life, including (but not limited to) keeping a daily diary of my very, extremely important elementary school days.
writing and illustrating my own book series—the adventures of brownie—when i was 8.
creating and selling handmade cards for 25 cents in middle school.
playing viola in high school.
taking drawing classes in freshman year.
knitting scarves in the summer.
pottery and printmaking sophomore year.
knitting (more) scarves in the summer.
designing junior year.
coding senior year.
writing and entrepreneurship and content creation post-college.
it seems as if there was always something i wanted to do, create, start, brainstorm—the life of an artist, am i right?—that was already someone else's "thing". when i was smaller, i didn't give it much thought, but as the years have gone by, the voices have gotten louder, creeping in and settling in the form of comparison, of (sometimes) regret, of the thief of my joy. and after 8? 9? "failed" blogs (they were not failures), those voices can get pretty loud.
——
but, can i let you in on another secret of sorts, one that i've often had to remind myself:
there is only one of me. one.
that means everything about how God has made me, has wired me—has made, has wired you—your voice, creativity, brain pathways, words, thoughts, quirks, passions; they are all unique to you. in the midst of it all, even if everyone and their mother has a blog or small business or podcast, even if the room looks full and all the seats are taken and there's not even standing room left,
there is room for you.
there is room for me.
keep looking, there is room.
let me ask you: what are you drawn to? what are you head over heels for? what are the hobbies, the pastimes, the things that never seem to get old? that always excite you? that bring you energy and vibrancy and—dare i say—joy?
i can tell you for me, partly, it's this. right here. creating + writing + photographing + editing + putting all the pieces together—a finished puzzle, of sorts—to publish and post in my little corner of the internet, raising my now-empty cup of coffee in cheers of sharing my art, creativity, writings to the masses. small they may be (the masses), they are still people, friends, family; one-of-a-kind humans who might just need to hear your unique words, your new song; to see your freshly-painted painting or read your self-published book or buy your hand-crocheted beanie at that exact moment. there is always room.
yes, thousands of bloggers and artists and musicians and designers are out there already. yes, the doubts will still rise. yes, and yes and yes to a hundred other reasons to choose to not do the things we really, absolutely love.
but today, i'm choosing to dream.
choosing to just go for it, fumbles and mistakes and re-dos (and 9 blogs and counting) and all.
choosing to because i head-over-heels love it.
choosing to keep going,
to create for fun,
to write to inspire.
there is always room;
for others,
for me.
——
and so, a few words to my fellow dreamers:
to those who have already started, to the ones who have found their favorite puzzle pieces, who are debating the swirling thoughts of scrapping the project, the pursuit, the passion—the entire puzzle:
⋒ don't stop. & keep going. we'll (i'll) be here, cheering you on, with an empty seat to my right.
to those who haven't:
⋒ just start. & keep going. we'll (i'll) be here, cheering you on, with an empty seat to my left.
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