The First Step Is Showing Up — Unfolding when it’s scary

So here we are. The very first post. The quiet beginning of something I can’t quite define yet — but feel compelled to begin anyway.

I didn’t start with a grand plan. I started by revisiting old drafts — pieces I’d written in the past but never dared to share. Half-processed thoughts and unfinished fragments.

Striving for momentum, I started writing a quick introduction. Then more ideas bubbled up. Before I knew it, I’d created an Instagram page for this project.

Then came the switch.

That sudden wave of dread and overwhelm. The one that says:

Who am I to do this?

Why would anyone care?

What if I get it wrong?

Doubt Is Part of the Process

Pausing to process the shift, I remembered a book that had once helped me reframe these fears:

Show Your Work by Austin Kleon — a handbook for makers who hate self-promotion.

Kleon reminds us that we don’t need to wait until something is perfect before sharing it. In fact, maybe we shouldn’t. Because creativity doesn’t emerge fully formed; it unfolds in motion, through exposure, through interaction with the world.

“You don’t have to be a genius.” — Austin Kleon

When we share our process — not just the polished results — we open the door for connection and allow for collaboration and resonance.

Nothing Is Ever Entirely Original

In Steal Like an Artist, Kleon makes another important point:

Creativity doesn’t emerge from a vacuum. It emerges from influence, combination, and reinterpretation. Even the Bible says:

“There is nothing new under the sun.” — Ecclesiastes 1:9

And as the theologian William Ralph Inge quipped:

“What is originality? Undetected plagiarism.”

These may sound cynical at first — but really, they’re liberating. They relieve us of the burden of perfection, of originality, of genius. They remind us that to create is to participate in an ongoing conversation. Sometimes in ways we don’t even realize.

Because creativity grows in the open and sharing is a form of becoming.

Because someone, somewhere, might see themselves in your process and feel a little less alone in theirs.

So this is me, showing my work. Not because it’s finished. Not because I’ve figured it out. But because I want to grow — and growth rarely happens in private.

The Risk of Being Seen

Yes, it’s scary to publish this.

Yes, it’s scary to put my name to it.

Yes, it’s scary to include a photo of myself on the About page.

But I stand by my reflections — even though they are imperfect and they are still to evolve.

And if I get something wrong? I’ll learn. I’ll correct it. I’ll keep going. That’s a part of the journey.

“If you aren’t making any mistakes, it’s a sure sign you’re playing it too safe.” — John Maxwell

This isn’t about arriving fully formed. It’s about unfolding even when it’s scary and your creation still needs to evolve.

And with time, maybe it won’t feel so scary. But we won’t know until we have tried.

An Invitation

If this resonates with you, or you are stumbling through your own process, navigating uncertainty, trying to find your voice — welcome. You’re in the right place.

Let’s leave perfection behind.

Let’s unfold the unfinished — together.

Ready to take the first step together with me?

🌱 What are you working on — even if it’s still in progress?

🌱 What have you wanted to start, but felt too afraid to try?

🌱 What idea keeps tugging at you, even in the doubt?

⭐️ Leave a comment. Share your process. Say hello.