Don't say that you cannot do it...

I have talents in certain areas, and there are other areas in which I know that I am not very talented. And, sometimes it is comfortable and very convenient to know that you are terrible in some areas. Personally, I am a person that lack most skills when it comes to design, color, painting, coloring, and more. And then recently, I started to take part in an online course teaching me how to use the program Affinity Designer.

At first, I found it very hard to use, but my skills in the program have improved quite a lot since then. However, I still struggle with a basic problem... I don't know how to make things look nice, not because I don't know how to draw with the program, but because I lack skills when it comes to actually being able to draw or color things to make them look nice.

It is convenient to say this about myself...

So, I know that I lack skills in many areas. And when one of my kids come and ask for help with something creative, I just say that "I am not good at that..."or that "I cannot help you with that." It is so convenient. But, the more I say it, the more I believe it, and the worse I get at it.

That is why it was so interesting that I have actually improved a bit because of my work in Affinity Designer. And so, as I sat down with my kids to draw earlier this week, I tried to draw based on the principles I used as I made drawings in the program. And to my surprise, it looked way better than what it normally looks like. And do you know what? My wife saw the drawing later and thought some of my kids have made it... it was looking too good to be made by me. Isn't that just funny?

And that is when I realized that I should move out from the convenience of convincing myself that I am terrible at such things... and rather try to say that there is a lot of potential for growth, and that a little growth will actually make it look like a giant improvement!

Of course, I will never turn into a famous painter or designer, so this is not where I will use most of my energy and time. But, I can still avoid all those negative words and thoughts that I throw at myself and to others, trying to tell everyone how terrible I am at it, and rather try to spread positivity and open for the chance of growth.

Do you get the point? This is just a personal example from my own life, but I guess this might help many of us... and first of all, help me!

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful week everyone!