Wise words from Emma Chapman of A Beautiful Mess
A brand new year always brings about a healthy dose of reflection for me, and this year is no exception. I've spent some time patting myself on the back for my accomplishments over the past year, but I've also been taking a closer look at some of the things I wish I'd done a little differently. This blog falls somewhere in between the two - I'd been wanting to start blogging for a few years now, and I'm so glad that 2016 was the year I finally took the leap. Unfortunately, I think I let my high expectations get the best of me, and when I started to worry that my ideas might not be good enough, I put blogging firmly on the back burner and focused on things that were easier and more familiar. In the year ahead, I want to put myself out there a bit more - in all areas of my life, but especially with blogging. I want to stop worrying so much, and go into this year without lofty expectations - just a willingness to give it my best shot. If you can relate to that feeling of failure getting in the way of your willingness to even try, you should absolutely take a peek at this post from Emma Chapman of A Beautiful Mess. She called it 'Thoughts on Creativity', but a more apt title might be, 'It's Okay To Suck, Just Try Anyway'. I've read and re-read this simple but oh-so-inspiring post more than once since she wrote it in 2015, and it's helped me through more than one creative slump. Go take a peek, and prepare to be inspired. And in the meantime, I'm going to start working on my next blog post - it may not turn out perfectly, but gosh darn it, I'm going to post it anyway!