Your first steps on a creative journey will be shaky, maybe even embarrassing. But the only way to get better is to allow yourself to get better.
I have a problem with creativity. It seems that I don’t want to “waste” anything. Sometimes that means my precious free time. Whatever I do with that time needs to be purposeful. But unless you’re progressing in an ongoing project, the time spent often has false starts and dead ends.
Other times, I fear wasting materials. Many times I’ve heard it said that people fail to use their sketchbooks because they’re afraid of messing them up with silly doodles and such. I’ve experienced that hesitation myself. But of course, that’s the very purpose of a sketchbook! And how are you going to improve enough to produce something special if you don’t practice?
I’ve left sketchbooks blank and covered with dust, pencils still sharp and new in their cases because I didn’t want to risk wasting the materials on something “stupid.” And I do that all the time! Everything from art supplies to pricey scale model cars. They sit untouched because I don’t want them to go to waste.
So, I’m giving you — and me — permission to make terrible things. Be bad at it so that you can become good at it.
So give your watercolors a spritz and start painting. Grab your camera (or your phone) and start snapping shots. Sit down with an instrument and start plunking away. Or dance while you clean the house. The only thing that’s stopping you from making terrible things are your own expectations.