As someone who loves to create, one of the most frustrating experiences is wanting to make something—but not knowing what, or watching it fall short of what I imagined. I’m in that space right now. Trying to push past this creative block has only increased my frustration, so I’m doing the thing that usually helps most: slowing down and writing.

This past year, my friend said something to me that I have always intuitively known, but hearing him say it gave me the validation that I needed. After hearing me talk nonstop about all the things that I felt like I wasn’t doing “good enough” in my life, he looked at me and said, “I think you’re really hard on yourself.” To date, that’s probably one of the most affirming things someone (other than my therapist!) has said to me.

Unpacking the reasons behind being “hard on myself” would take another blog post (or 10), but right now I just want to sit with those words and give myself permission to remember a few grounding truths:

• The goal of creating is joy or learning a new skill, not perfection
• Making mistakes is part of the learning and creating process
• Putting pressure on myself to create because I feel the need to “do” something is the quickest way to take the joy and inspiration out of it
• Taking time to find inspiration and develop ideas is just as important as physically creating something

Aside from perfectionism creeping into my creative process, I have to be honest with myself about something else. There are two or three new crafting skills that I want to start learning, and choice paralysis is kicking in hard. Perfectionism doesn’t just show up in how I create—it also shows up in how I choose what to create. Coming up with a plan to start learning those new skills and recognizing that it will take time to gain some mastery in those areas is crucial.

If anything I’ve written so far has resonated with you, I welcome you to join me on this journey I’m embarking on – not just making things I love but listening to and loving myself and others. Life has consistently shown me that the most meaningful lessons can often show up in the most unexpected ways. So, I hope you give yourself permission to show up however you need to today. Do something that makes you happy, and focus on the joy in the process rather than the outcome. Or maybe just give yourself permission to relax and not “do” anything.

Love, always.

Michelle