As I logged in to Typepad tonight to show you some new work I've done, I saw a 'recommended' blog to look at. It was called 'Creativity takes courage'.
I didn't look at it, but the words briefly caught my attention and stayed with me.
Three little words that mean so much to me in the job I do, and the way I show myself to the world.
Every day that I write here, I put myself out there.... ready for anyone who happens to come across my blog to judge me. Criticise my work, my writing, myself. Or not.
And I realised that yes, my scrapbooking, cake making, writing does that each and everytime I write another post.
Most days I'm ok with that. I can handle it. I'm a 'big girl'. But other days the comments, snide remarks and criticism gets to me. It hurts. Hey, I'm human too. And too frequently the people that make the comments that hurt, are people that have either never been here before, or don't know me. Or worse still, they do and they make them anyway. And I wonder what made them think that way? In what way could I have been misconstrued? I wonder if they took the time to look at my blog and read what I'm up to, would they still think that?
And to be honest, the answer is often yes.
Because at the end of the day, I'm just a scrapbooker, Mum, woman, friend, that is trying to get through the day just like everyone else.
The scrapbooking I share is always personal and opens me to criticism. The joy I get from making a cake could be misunderstood as bragging. The excitement I find in getting a success with my kids could be seen as competition with other parents. I mean where does it stop?
For me, right here. My blog is a little insight into myself. It doesn't show the whole of me, not even a little bit. There just isn't enough room, or words, and the words that I use will be perceived differently by everyone who reads them.
So being here is a little part of my courage showing through. Sharing my thoughts, my scrapbooking, my baking, my little bits of crazy, sometimes takes a thick skin, which unfortunately I don't have.
If you are creative, take courage in what you do because at the end of the day, it is for you. It is not to be judged by anyone else. It is a little bit of who you are being shared with the people around you. And that is all. For someone to judge or criticise just doesn't come into it.
So I wish for you, and me, enough courage to keep blogging. To keep creating. To keep baking. To keep bringing up your kids in the way you see fit. To email that person with a note of encouragement. To paint. To run. To do whatever it is that you do. To just be you.