Putting things in perspective

I like to think of myself as creative – I love words, I love colour, I love design. Creating and designing things are when I’m at my happiest.

A friend sent me a link today for an essay about perspective and one sentence the writer wrote really grabbed me; 

The trick to being truly creative, I’ve always maintained, is to be completely unselfconscious and resist the urge to self-censor. To not-give-a-shit what anybody thinks?

Maybe that’s where I’m going wrong, I care too much what others think and say. I’m the master of self-censoring. How I envy those people who are completely unselfconscious and free in their actions and their thinking. People who say and see it exactly as it is, whose openness shines through in their creative way of living.

We all know one of these types; everyone loves to be around them because their energy is exhilarating and fresh. They take risks, they breathe life into everything they do – quite simply they’re living life as they should be.

They’re the louder than life people who are colourful and bold and full of great ideas and creations. They believe in their work and their ability.

The first step to greatness is to believe in yourself and your own ability. I think you also have to enjoy what you do and that gives you the urge to do it well. It doesn’t matter what it is that you’re doing as long as it lights a fire in your belly and makes you feel like you’re making a difference. 

So perhaps I have a few more steps to take before I can put things into perspective.

Last week during an interview where I had to register with a consultancy firm, I found myself ridiculously grateful when they told me how extensive my skills and knowledge were and that I have so much more to offer than what I have been doing.

No kidding - I know all of that, my friends and family tell me regularly. So why do I only believe it when a stranger tells me that after 15 minutes of talking to me. The simple answer is because rightly or wrongly I give too much of a shit about what others think of me so I hesitate to put it out there for people to judge or comment on.

And on that topic, the other sentence from that essay which resonated; 

Creative people are on the whole fragile beings, and letting each other down gently and quietly was the unwritten rule.

I need to start off with getting my writing back on track, with passion and belief in my own creativity - because in the end it doesn't really matter what anyone else thinks, it's whether I'm liking what I do and not self censoring.
  
Cheers, Fi