Rise and Grind

Strategize, Focus and Commit. These 3 simple words got me through the whole month of November and I feel fulfilled that I managed to move past the initial stage of re-establishing myself as an artist and designer professionally.

I’ve been reading Get Your Sh*t Together by Sarah Knight, and it was a great guide about mental decluttering to start doing what you want to do and then finish them eventually. I have so many ideas in mind and I know what I want in life yet it was a struggle to understand what step should I do first.

 

One of the things that I had to change is my distractions. The number one on the list is playing video games and I had to go offline so I won’t succumb to peer pressure. For so long, I would just say “okay, just one game guys” and then, later on, hours already passed. I also minimized my social media activity and just use it when I have important folks to respond to. Doing these 2 simple things has improved my productivity level in ways I couldn’t imagine.

I also stopped being too hard on myself and became more forgiving. Anyone who has imposter syndrome would relate to feelings of self-doubt, lack of talent to do work, and the thought of not having any accomplishment in life.

 

Just the other day, I was talking to my friends and one of them made an offensive remark. I mentioned wanting to upgrade my PC so it would be faster to render larger files and he said to me “mabilis nga PC pero yung skill naman?”. Meaning, your PC is fast but what about your skills? He even kept mentioning his other friends who do cryptoart and sent me a link to an artist whose style is entirely different than mine. I replied that skills can be developed and improved over time. I’m surprised that I didn’t get hurt like usual and only said something positive in return.

For someone who clearly had no art background and constantly belittles artists, I think his opinion doesn’t matter at all. It sucks when your family and friends don’t see you succeed in the future but I’ve decided to turn their negativity into fuel that will help me become the best version of myself. 

 

 

 

I have people who love my artwork and design projects so that’s more than enough for me. Dita Von Teese said, “You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, and there's still going to be somebody who hates peaches”. I’m not gonna let a mere opinion hold me back from the opportunities I can reach through hard work.

Dream big and execute. The last time I felt this so much drive was in university. I was about to enter young adulthood and my aspirations were crystal clear. It felt like no one can stop me or let me down. I have forgiven myself for the past years I thought wasted. Instead of daydreaming about “what could’ve been”, I’ve been learning new things, harnessing my skills, and working hard to get closer to my dream.

 

 

 

The only one who can hinder me is me and I will fight against my demons daily to succeed. I’d rather fail a lot of times and keep trying and trying than live a life not doing something about what my heart truly desires.

{DISCLAIMER: Editorial photo obtained via Unsplash and I don't own any of the gifs}