Being comfortable with stepping into the uncomfortable. Being confident in taking one step out of your safe place. Attempting something you have never done before or re-attempting something that once failed in order to grow and develop. Experimenting with something new just to see what happens. Doing it even when you have no idea what the result will be. Stepping out of your comfort zone. It is terrifying. It takes guts.
You hear contradicting voices in your head. One says “I am already proud of you just for making the decision to go for it. You got this!”. And the other says “Are you crazy? What do you think you are doing? This is never going to work”.
The question is: which voice will you let win? Will you stay in your safe place, I am comfortable, I am going to avoid that first step on that scary path? Or will the determined side of you come out and you will decide to go on that walk and explore a new way?
For me, I have had both experiences. As an artist, my comfort zone is… that’s right, you guessed it, patterns. And that will always be my happy, safe, the thing I return to place. It comes naturally to me, it is fun, it is easy. And the other stuff is not as easy. Not that I don’t love it- I enjoy every bit of it. But it takes more time to figure out, more effort, more attempts to make it.
But, it is all worth it. Whenever we start something new, it is not easy, right? But as we practice more and more, it soon becomes part of your comfort zone. It doesn’t feel that terrifying or “omg, I have to do that now” anymore. It becomes a routine. And that walk on a new pathway is actually beautiful, a change for the better, an expansion of yourself and your work.
So I will keep exploring and experimenting as both an artist and person. What about you?