Ever since normality left our atmosphere and this new life of staying indoors and limiting our time outside came around, there’s been a new buzz about filling our time with new hobbies. Cooking, exercising, watching Tiger King, and…journaling, drawing, and creating art have now all grabbed the attention of our society.

With all this time on your hands, you may be wanting to dip your toes into the world of creativity. However, for many people, there are several fears when it comes to getting creative. These fears often prevent people from diving head first and getting out of their comfort level. So what are these fears and how can we overcome them? Here’s some tips you can follow to get your mind out of the B.S. and into your own world of possibilities.

Tip #1: Screw the Haters

Ahh judgment. Something we humans fear at almost all times of the day.

There’s often this misconception that creativity is left to those who are “good” at it. We think we ought to leave art to the people with a keen eye for photography, or the people who can work a paintbrush and canvas with unfathomable skill. We fear that if we dive in and pick up a piece of paper and pencil, all the “experts” and everyone else around them are going to judge us for stepping in a world that we don’t belong in.

I’m here to tell you SCREW THAT FEAR. Seriously, forget that shit and pick up the pencil anyway.

No one is going to judge you. No one cares how “bad” you are at whatever you want to try to do. With art and creativity, “good” and “bad” results are typically faulty interpretations crafted by a series of irrelevant and illegitimate opinions. And if someone does judge you for giving your creative juices some energy, well, quite frankly, screw them. The fact that they’re choosing to waste their energy on judging someone for utilizing something every human was gifted with sounds like a personal problem they need to sort through themselves.

Pick up the pencil, put the lead on the paper, and exercise your brain.

Tip #2: Quit Telling Yourself You’re Simply “Not a Creative Person”

Seriously. This is an old-as-time cop out for cheating yourself out of trying a new hobby.

I’m going to go ahead and take a guess that you’re of the human species. Being a part of the human species means you have a brain and a heart. You probably also have thousands of thoughts running through your mind every day like the rest of us do and you also probably see a million sights as you go throughout your day.

Well guess what. All those people who are so-called “creative” have the same exact physical qualities as you. The have a brain, a heart and a pair of eyes too. So what makes you so different from them?

Don’t sell yourself short by repeatedly saying you’re not a creative person. If you pick up a pencil and start trying to put one of those thousands of thoughts you have throughout the day onto paper, whether that’s by writing, drawing, or just moving the pencil around, well guess what–you’re creating! And a human who creates can be considered, well, creative, right?

Basically, what I’m trying to say is just give yourself a chance and don’t scare yourself out of tapping into your own personal creativity.

Tip #3: “Practice Makes Perfect” Really Does Hold Some Truth

Another fear a lot of people have about dipping into their creative juices is the fear that they’re simply just not good enough to partake in the hobby. They’re not born to be creative like some people and that’s just the way it is.

Woah, buddy. Let’s take a step back here and refer to a saying we learned at a very young age. Practice makes perfect!!

It’s true, though. Think about it: The more you steer away from making boxes of mac and cheese and actually try working off of new recipes, the better you become at cooking. You got better at riding bike by continuing to do it over and over. You got better at your job as you continued to go there every shift.

The same goes for making art! The more you practice, the better you’ll get at it. Sure, your first couple attempts might not turn out how you expect, but I promise as you keep going at it, you’re going to start surprising yourself. And who doesn’t like succeeding and getting better at an activity you have fun with, right?!

Basically, Just go For It

To sum this post up, when it comes to giving your creative side a chance, just go for it. Really. No one’s going to judge you for trying and honestly the whole process can only make you a better you. After all, exercising your brain is one of the best things we can do for ourselves, right?

You got this.

She Salt

What are you currently creating? How do you get inspired?

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Instagram: @shesaltblog