Everyone wants to be a professional. An expert. Someone other people look to for answers and advice. Showing off a new skill or something new they know. But if they have to put in the same amount of energy, learning and determination it becomes a chore that’s quickly given up because “it’s a lot of work”.
Learning is a process that never stops regardless of status, finances or however many other accomplishments you’ve met.
People are afraid of the way they’ll be perceived if they aren’t good enough at something to get the nod of approval, a compliment of awesomeness, or in some kind of shape or form, a beloved “like”.
Being an amateur though- a novice, sucking at something- shouldn’t be a reason to abandon, look down at or be embarrassed about. If photography was something you wanted to take up and share on social media, would you keep every shot to yourself, keeping them in the dark never to be seen by another till you’re taking “photographer quality” photos? At what point is that? What feedback are you getting? And are you letting the could-be perceptions of others dictate your level of enjoyment/learning of a new subject? Are you letting it take a piece of your self-confidence and decision-making?
Sucking at something is how you’ll meet new people, learn new things, make new opportunities, have new experiences and keep your mind going.
Yes, you’ll probably fail a couple times. Some shots might be terrible. You might “look stupid” trying to capture a moment and you might say something that’s wrong. Who cares? What you’ll get is progress, patience, perseverance, and experience.
You’ll learn, you’ll make new friends, you’ll have new experiences, you’ll see, taste and hear new things. Maybe you’ll end up creating a second form of income or even secondary job.
As humans, we have the capability to reform the network of our minds and learn new things, it’s a never-ending process until you die. Don’t wait till you’re dead to suck at something. The sooner you suck, the sooner you’ll be good at something new.
