4 Tips For The Young Creative
When it comes to being a young creative, we each face our own challenges. It seems like every day we’re experiencing a new and unknown obstacle we have to formulate a way to overcome.
It can be lonely, draining, and most of all, really discouraging. I see you; I feel you, but most of all, I am one of you.
I want to share with you a few tips I’ve learned to help make your life as a young creative easier, fulfilling, and encouraging.
1) Build a tribe.
Creating can feel like a solo sport, but the reality is that every great creative has a squad cheering them on and supporting them in every way possible.
From my own experience the hardest part about being a young creative is how lonely you can get. You spend hours dedicating time to enhancing and refining your craft only to have it get 0 attention. Having a tribe of people that are going to provide you not only with feedback but unconditional support is the best way to develop the muscles of sharing your art with the world.
These people love you whether you create something cool or not. Let them speak life, hope, and courage into you!
In my own life, my tribe is located throughout a handful of cities which brings lots of variety and support to my creative challenges.
2) Define your why.
Maybe it’s just me but if I can’t see the purpose in something, I usually can’t bring myself to do it. When you like to create but don’t understand why you create it can be hard to find purpose in what you do.
When you sit down and think about things like:
Why you like creating
Who you’re creating for
What kind of impact you want your art to have
Your art will take a whole new dimension. You will show up to create more passionately. Your art will become more of an experience in place of an object.
For me, I create because I’m passionate about helping people grow. Now, when I create it’s really easy to gauge what’s helping people grow and if it’s worthwhile for me to invest time into.
3) Explore the edges of your comfort zone.
Comfort zones are great. Nothing really takes you by surprise or shock, everything is easy and risk free. We are content in our comfort zones.
Here’s the thing: growth doesn’t happen in your comfort zones. I’m not saying to abandon your comfort zone in its entirety, but hang out near the edge of it. Toe the line of what’s comfortable and what’s uncomfortable. Experiment with the things that make you squirm a little.
The more you flirt with the things right outside of your comfort zone the more your comfort zone can grow and expand without moving too quickly.
Edging your comfort zone can look like free writing, or trying a new poem format; it can look like switching the mode on your camera or trying to edit a video a new way. It’s not hard to “always be bettering” and trying something with a twist!
4) Be scared, but do it anyway.
We have the opportunity to influence the people and the culture around us when we share our art. I can promise you it’s terrifying. No matter how many times I get on stage, or click publish, I always have the same rush of unease through my body.
Truth be told, I’m terrified, but I do it anyway. I know that my words have power and it’s my responsibility to steward and share that power with the world.
I think Brene Brown says it best when she says “Give me the courage to show up and let myself be seen.”
For me I tend to shy away from the things that allow me to be seen. However, every time I do that, I limit myself from becoming the creative powerhouse I want to be known as.
Sometimes, being scared and doing it anyway will land you in a new city, with a new tribe, a new why, and new fears – but what never changes is the peace and clarity that comes with creating despite the chaos around you.
My challenge for you is to embrace the things that make you squirm, to lean into your tribe, to understand your why, and to explore your comfort zone in new ways. Truth be told, the life of a young creative is a wild, unexpected adventure, but if you do it right, it’s also fulfilling, purposeful, and time of rapid growth!
Randalyn Hill is one of our monthly contributors. After blogging for a combined total of over 200 days she started a creative newsletter in January of 2019. During that time, she started freelancing as a photographer and a content writer. Not long after she started full time at Ama La Vida she quickly realized she would get an opportunity to leave a creative imprint there as well through their social media and the company blog. Her current focuses outside of work are growing the creative community in Chicago and finding the best gluten free pizza around.
