Starting something new, creative or artistic can be very hard. We tend to let fear hold us back. Maybe we tell ourselves that we aren't good enough, we aren't creative enough, we don't have good ideas or skills. Maybe you want to be an amazing photographer. Maybe you dream in watercolours. Maybe pencil drawing is your thing, or perhaps it's flower arranging....whatever it is, let's change the "want to be" into "being".
So why is it so hard to start?
I blame this mostly on great aspirations and fears of failure. I tend to be a perfectionist and have to work very hard to overcome this. Unfortunately as much as I want it, I can't just jump into something new and be AWESOME at it. Most of us can't, it's actually very very rare that anyone can. Deep down I think we all want to be great, we want to succeed and discover that hidden talent. Finding out if we are going to be naturally good at something is scary. Fear can sometimes hold us back. When we start something new we need to be graceful with ourselves and we need to be persistent. Don't give up too quickly. Keep trying again and again.
The first step is to just jump in and do it. Deep breath and GO! The most important step is to do it again. That's where most of us fail. We try something, realize we don't have an amazing natural talent (ahem, most people don't) and then we give up.
That's what makes it so important to try again. If it's something you enjoy and something you really want to spend time doing and perfecting - prioritize it, sets some goals, and practice.
Everyone no matter what stage they are at or how much natural talent they have, needs to continue to practice to continue getting better.
Since you are reading this, I will assume that you have something in your mind (it may be deep in the back of your mind) that you are hoping or dreaming of doing.
Do it!
Then do it again!
Repeat!
If it helps, try it alone, don't tell anyone or show anyone. Just keep at it. If you fail, no-one needs to know. However, I think it's important to realize that we all fail, it's how we grow. If you never risk failing, you will not have the reward of succeeding.
Think about how incredible it will be to look back after a few months of practice and see how far you've come. After a few years it will be even better. Document your work, it will be inspiring and rewarding.
What is it you've been putting off starting?