I used to feel self-conscious about being that “hopeful millennial blogger.” There are millions of us, and to a lot of people, we’re the same: young wannabe Lauren Conrad’s or Rupi Kaur’s.
When I started writing, it was my opportunity to share my feelings with others in hopes that people could relate. It is an opportunity to be reflective on my own feelings; writing has and always will be my creative outlet. At the same time, letting others read it will put you in the most uncomfortable and vulnerable position. Being open to criticism is doable— inevitably a learned skill, but doable. So, how do you deal with unspoken criticism? You can’t help but think about how everybody is judging you for the few pieces they’ve read.
The hype wears off at some point in time, and you can lose motivation. And once you lose that motivation, you may feel like phasing it out or to come to an abrupt halt. However, without starting these projects, we strip ourselves of an experience that could potentially allow us to grow and become who we are today. It’s practice.
Writing is hard, because you never know what you want your end-goal to be, as it changes with your experiences.
Blogging and every other social media project and venture that I started—and more or less dropped—has helped me gain confidence. These projects allowed me to practice my writing and photography skills. They gave me a better understanding and appreciation for art and all creations of the millennial mind. And yes, there are days when I want to go back to those projects, because they helped me at a point in life. Sometimes, I yearn to go back to that point in time where I was creating pieces that I thought were worthy of others to see. During these moments, I felt confident and comfortable enough to let others see what was going on in my head.
These projects reminded me to use my loud millennial nature to support others with any positive projects that they started. Clearly, there was a spark that ignited and they had something that they felt was worthy to share with others. That alone deserves all the support in the world. I want to add fuel to that fire, especially if it brings that person happiness and has the potential to inspire others.
To the ones on the other side—the people seeing it all, if somebody has started a new passion project, whatever it may be… please support them. Be vocal about it. You’re helping them. You’re supporting new ideas and allowing them to flourish and bloom into something so beautiful.
I’m writing this to everybody. The bloggers, the photographers, the fashionistas, the artists… everybody. Keep doing what you love. Let this advice extend past blogging and other passions; sing loudly in the shower, dance like nobody’s watching, and wear the loudest and brightest colours.
Live your best life for you, and nobody else.
Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash
