Beginnings can be daunting.
Starting a new blog and writing your very first post.
Starting your own business.
You’re full of great ideas. But then when you sit down to actually do the work … the words don’t seem to come. And those great ideas? Well, you begin to question whether they were such good ideas after all.
Will people like your writing or your products? Or will they be completely uninterested in your work? Worse still, will they think it’s a bit rubbish?
Yes, it can be scary putting yourself out there and open to scrutiny.
I once met a talented designer at a show. He was exhibiting the prototype of a clever lighting concept he had designed. It was wall hung lighting, that also worked as a piece of art. It was simple, but brilliant.
The prototype was ready, and it worked. He had the ability to start with a small batch manufacture of the piece. And there was a lot of interest in his design. I helped him get some press coverage for the prototype. He even had inquiries for tentative orders for when he put it into production.
But you know what became of that design?
Nothing.
When faced with the reality of turning the design from an idea into a marketable product, he froze. He was afraid it wouldn’t work. No amount of encouragement made him change his mind. He just couldn’t bring himself to put it into production. So afraid was he of failure. Even though the initial reaction was positive.
That product may have become a best-seller and he might have launched as successful career as a designer on the back of that first design.
But sadly, he let his fear of failure stifled his creativity.
It taught me a valuable lesson: You need to have courage and just get your work out there. Because unless you try, you’ll never know.
And the only way to begin – is to begin.