the beginning is hard, especially when we feel the pressure of beginning perfectly, immediately, and without the possibility of failure
You’ve got an idea, and enthusiasm has you bursting at the seams… but where to begin?
How many times have you thought to yourself “I’ll make a start on that quilt/novel/photo edit/wall hanger/insert your project here today.”?
And then promptly meandered off to fold washing/dig weeds/pick up dog shit out of the yard.
Why?
Because you would rather be doing anything else OTHER than start that project.
the start of our creative efforts is the pivotal point in the process
It is, after all, the beginning. That magical intersection point of ideas and execution.
There will always be a long, long laundry list of obstacles to overcome in any creative work, but the ‘actual beginning’ is often the hardest.
Three reasons we don’t start are:
1. the idea/project/concept is not fleshed out yet, either in our heads or on paper;
2. the project, as it stands, is overwhelming and;
3. failure terrifies us, as we worry that the project isn’t good enough or we’ll let others down.
start before you are ready
Don’t wait until you’ve got it all figured out before starting.
Preparation, while necessary, can be deceptive.
Nutting out the details can be the fun part (if you tell your inner critic to shush).
It’s when you get to spend time writing out lists of ideas…
You dream about the ‘what if’s’…
The problems to be overcome…
Drawing and re-drawing that creative idea as it unfolds…
But, exactly how much preparation do we need before it becomes detrimental to the project?
One of my favourite quotes is:
“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”
Starting a project can be daunting.
You now have to figure out how to take your ideas and turn them into the thing you want to create.
So, how do you eat that elephant?
When you start your project, you don’t have to do it correctly, or brilliantly… you simply have to start.
Take things one step at a time, one sentence, one frame, one piece of wool.
start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible
The puzzle pieces fall into place. You move from one stepping stone to the next, and the next, and behold, you have begun.
If beginnings are hard, then fear of failure is crippling.
Your initial efforts are probably going to suck. Quite often the process, the picture, the idea as it lives in your head doesn’t translate to reality.
At this point, it’s easy to give up.
Compare yourself to other artists, musicians, novelists, and photographers who are more accomplished, and conclude that you will never be so.
It takes courage to fail.
Courage to recognise your failures for what they are… opportunities to learn and improve.
Beginning something creative is not an instant process, and you are not alone in finding it hard.
so whatever it is that is tugging at your creative heartstrings — begin it
with love and light
Tasha xo
