When I thought about writing this topic, I was … “afraid”… LOL! Hence the title right?! But why? We all have such diverse personalities, some of us are outgoing, comfortable in front of people while others prefer to curl up in the corner and read a good book. I think there are times when we all get somewhat or maybe very nervous when we’re putting ourselves out there for others to see. It’s the backlash that we’re not sure of. Will others like what I’m doing or not? Will they support it or abhor it? These days are so different than any other time in our history.
The thing is, some people will get what you do, others won’t. It doesn’t mean hold our gifts to ourselves. God embraced talents on everyone and when we hoard them, we actually rob the world of what we have to offer. So, when I started using social media more, I realized that if I want to make sales, encourage others and build a community of customers, which is one of the main reasons why I create, I had to get over my fear of sharing my work.
One of my wonderful friends, Kimberly, said this to me once…
“What would you do if you weren’t afraid? Would you do what you need to do?” I said, “well yeah, if I weren’t afraid.” She said, “Well do it, regardless if you’re afraid.”
And, the more I share, the more I want to share even if the card or item I made isn’t my best work. I can talk about what I learned, improve the technique and try it again. It shows others that I’m not trying to be perfect and make no mistakes, that’s not possible anyway.
“But what if I get negative comments or feedback?” The thing is no matter how sweet or how nice you are, somebody won’t like your content. But, try not to let that stop you from sharing your creations. Because with the anonymity of the internet, anyone can hit the dislike thumbs down on YT or the angry on Facebook, and not necessarily because they really disagree or don’t like what you posted. They can hit it because they can and there’s no repercussions for it.
However, there are just as many people that will admire you for sharing, give you good feedback and pretty soon, you’ll be part of a wonderful creative community. Also, you can also make some wonderful friendships on the journey.
When I share, I have no idea how my posts will affect someone else. It may be the catalyst for them to be more comfortable opening up and sharing their designs or content. I’ve also read many posts of how crafters said creating cards and/or other crafts helps them fight depression and anxiety. Plus, creating is fun!
And think about this:
Sharing your designs on social might be the encouragement someone needed at that very moment. God’s timing is so perfect right when we need an encouraging word. Many people have and do inspire me like my wonderful hubby. He puts in long hours and his heart into his job everyday. And, when I see him put out so much of himself, it propels me to reach higher, stretch longer and go after my dream!
So, as I bring this post to a close, we may never get over being afraid of sharing but it will become easier as it becomes more and more our lifestyle. Happy Creating!
