What Courage Means To Me

This Monday morning I'm starting off the week by reflecting on what it means to be courageous and strong, especially as a woman, the way my mom is ❤️ I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and did my best to distill my thoughts yesterday on Mother’s Day when I posted this about my mom, who is an incredible human being! 
 
And then the other day I saw a post from my sweet friend Meagan Morrison of @travelwritedraw about how when Martha Stewart got asked if she ever felt like an impostor she said no, when many of us would answer YES! I’d like to continue this conversation because I find it so important.
 
Why do so many of us doubt ourselves?
 
I remember a couple of years ago, right after I made the switch from architecture to illustrating full-time, the first time I told someone I’m a fashion illustrator I had a hard time getting the words out. I didn’t FEEL like an illustrator. So I quickly added, I’m also an architect! LOL. Like I needed to prove my *worth* somehow. I was trained as an architect, not as an illustrator, so I compare myself to others who have the *right* credentials, and sometimes I feel like I’m not the *real deal* because I don’t.
 
I think it’s because today it’s easier than ever to compare on social media and to feel like you're falling short. Like many of you, I’m afraid to admit I have self-doubt, but it’s important to talk about it because sweeping it under the rug would perpetuate the myth. The myth that I don’t struggle with this. I certainly do.

The hardest part is that people don’t acknowledge feeling this way, so I sometimes feel alone in it. I KNOW I am not alone in this tho! None of us are, thank goodness 😉 Which is why I think REAL change starts with acceptance because we can all relate.
 
It’s ok to be vulnerable, to acknowledge and to ACCEPT those feelings because they are human nature. We are not robots, people! 😂 All we can do is move forward DESPITE our fears and doubt. I mean, isn’t courage doing something IN SPITE of your fear?
 
So I say let’s all be courageous and put ourselves there, let’s not waste another SECOND letting our doubts stop us from doing what we dream about. Want to be an artist? Start painting TODAY! Want to get fit? Go for a walk this MINUTE! Want to write? Put words on paper NOW! Don’t let that nagging voice in the back of your head come up with excuses and reasons why not to do it and talk you out of it!

If there’s one lesson I’ve learned that I think is the MOST important of all is to just DO IT! Today. Now. And let me tell you, this is a lesson that I have to re-learn over and over again lol. Because I’m human, and I forget this lesson as life gets in the way and I get distracted, but it’s the one thing I keep coming back to.  Every time I remind myself to just go and do it, especially when I’m feeling that self-doubt start creeping in, magical things happen!
 
I would have never started hand painting my T-shirts if I hadn’t pushed through those doubts. And I would not have had the moving experience of witnessing how joyful they make my customers like Beatrice @whol_some_life and her daughter, Janell.  I painted this custom T-shirt for Bea as a Mother’s Day present to Janell, and they both loved it so much!  Bea said: ‘Your drawing is gorgeous. Thank you so much! I’m going to order more!!! They’re really special! Janell loved her T-shirt! Everyone wanted one too!’  Had I listened to that doubtful voice of fear in my head telling me all the reasons why I shouldn’t paint and put my work out there, all the reasons why I might fail at it, Bea and Janell would have never shared this special mother-daughter moment on Mother's Day!

So my advice (to you and to myself lol): just tell that voice to shove it! ;) Don’t rob yourself and others of the happiness you can bring with your creativity, in whatever way you choose to express your creative spirit! And let’s GO for it, because this is the ONLY way we grow! If we stop ourselves from fear, we will never get through to the other side where our dreams await! ✨
 
What have you been stopping yourself from doing because you have doubts? And what steps will you take TODAY to push through that fear and go after your dreams? I’m rooting for you, I know you can do it, so let’s do this together! 😘❤

You with me?

xo,
Cristina

Watch what I loved most about painting this custom T-shirt: