We all know someone who loves to draw, paint or write. Maybe someone who plays an instrument or two. They’re that someone who we would describe to new people as “creative”. They make it seem so simple, effortless and fun, right? But you know you couldn’t do that. You just know that whenever you try, you’re going to fall short of their achievements. Maybe this friend of yours has even encouraged you to try it out, told you that it’s mostly just hard work and practice rather than talent.

Maybe they even encouraged you enough to get you to try it out. Well, why not, you thought. Perhaps you tried something creative, and you found it very enjoyable. It was fun, wasn’t it? But alas, you heard people sing your friend’s praises constantly. Oh, how absolutely wonderful they are, they’re so talented! You felt inadequate compared to them. So you stopped trying. You still long for the feeling you got when you picked up that pencil/brush/instrument/whatever it was.

So…

Why are we here then?

What is stopping you?

Do it.

Just do it.

You liked it, no? You liked the process, you loved what you created, what you did. That feeling was great. You felt happy and accomplished. Isn’t that what matters most in the creative process? Or in anything you do, for that matter? I for one absolutely suck at video games, but I enjoy playing them anyway. And no, I don’t mean like Sims or Animal Crossing, though I do enjoy both. I mostly play Call of Duty and Dark Souls. Why, then, if I’m so garbage at them? Simply because I like playing games. NPC’s kill me all the time, I’ve failed even the easiest of boss fights more times than I can count, and I always forget how much fall damage I can take before I die. But I don’t even care. It’s so much fun.

But what if someone else thinks I suck? Well, am I playing games just to entertain others? No, I’m not. I play games to have fun and enjoy what I’m doing all alone. That can also be applied to whatever you do or want to do. You don’t have to put your creativity on display for anyone else, right? You don’t have to paint in order to hang your art in a gallery, nor do you have to play an instrument or sing to an audience just because those happen to be your hobbies. Putting your hobbies on display is not something you have to do in any way shape or form. Some people like to do that and even strive for that, but that does not mean that you should, too. You can be creative all alone in your room, entertaining none but yourself.

So, what’s really stopping you? What does it matter if someone’s better than you? If you enjoy it, that’s what matters most. There will always be someone who’s technically better, but that does not mean that you should stop yourself from enjoying life. They’ve had to work hard to get to that point anyway. The same applies to everyone, regardless of their skills. Even professional artists strive to do better and to be better constantly. They practice, practice and practice. There’s always something to polish, something to fix and something to change.

You don’t have to strive for perfection, getting better or anything, really. The main thing is that you have fun. So, why mope around? You do exactly what you want to. Splash some paint onto a canvas, draw weird stick figures, be creative! Or, indeed, be garbage at video games. Whatever you want. As long as you’re not hurting anyone, you’re allowed to do what your heart desires. Regardless of what other people say or if someone just so happens to be technically better at it than you. Like, honestly, who cares?

Just do it.