A room of one's own

 

A couple of months ago, a wonderful thing happened to me - something I absolutely adore doing, a hobby really, blossomed into a little business. It all happened by chance and I never saw it coming but next thing I knew, I was selling things that I use to make for fun - for me. It was a great feeling to know that there are people out there loving my work so much that they want to put it up in their homes and I am still quite flattered at the mere idea of people buying my work to prettify their places.

 

But then a strange thing happened. I completely stopped creating. For a whole month I did not take a single photograph. Not a single one! Suddenly I was overwhelmed by self doubt and criticism and the perfectionist in me tore apart anything I attempted in the same manner that a finch would tear apart a nest. It was bad. Why did this happen? I'm not quite sure but I do have sneaky suspicion that unreasonable expectations that I placed upon myself had something to do with it. All of a sudden I had this "ideal" that I had to live up too and it was no longer fun.

 

Then this little book fell in my lap and pretty much the same day I  decided to start doing what I love again. How incredibly simple it really is - do what you love. I can kick myself that it took me a whole month to figure it out. Just get back and do what you love - without the unreasonable expectations, without the self doubt and perfectionist finching. Just get down to it. Just freaking do it! And just then and there I converted my dinner table into a mini office space. I pushed my dining room table against the wall (friends will now have to eat on their laps), took out my tools and got to work.

 

Self-doubt is a silent enemy. Its a battle that you fight with yourself and that is the worst kind. It inhibits you to nothingness, numbs you to a standstill.

The solution?

Just get to work. Ignore the voice and just freakin do it.

Oh, and it really helps to have a space that is yours, a creative room of one's own (even if it's a converted dining table)