Back to Quiet

Dear reader,

The Instagram and Facebook outage yesterday revealed to me just how much I turn to those platforms during the day. In a moment when I was trying to avoid something difficult or mundane, I would try to open one or the other (of course to no avail, which is actually a blessing). I’m coming to realize how much noise I try to fill my day with: always something playing in the background, always jumping to the next thing, filling my time with stuff and nonsense so I don’t have to face a moment of silence and solitude. We are all looking to distract ourselves, and Instagram has been a huge distraction for me in the last few months. It’s a great platform and it’s allowed me to expand my market to reach those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to find my work, but it’s also full of so much noise and negativity.

Its been said that comparison is the thief of joy, and this has become so prevalent in my life. There’s always someone further along, there’s always someone who is during more than me, there is always someone who has an image of “success” that I haven’t obtained. I’ve allowed this to bog me down in my journey as an artist and entrepreneur because I feel like I should be somewhere else instead of where I’m currently at in my work and in my business. I’ve been looking so far ahead that I haven’t taken a moment to sit and appreciate what I have already achieved. I’ve developed my style into something that I love and that I can be proud of. I’ve seen the joy that my work brings to others, and I’ve successfully made sales.

We are all on a journey, either personally or professionally, and we all face the evil of comparison. The key to joy is to only compare to yourself, to who you’ve been and how far you’ve come. Be proud of the achievements you’ve made, because I know its been long and its been hard, but I also know that its been worth it.

All my love,

Taylor