The most difficult task of finding your true talent and potential is convincing yourself that you are ready to start. When deciding to pursue a path of creativity and finally follow your inner passion, it seems that we often talk ourselves out of it before we even begin. There is fear, apprehension and self doubt in starting something new, unfamiliar and truly unpredictable.

Yet, although we make up excuses, put our creative pursuits on the back burner and find every reason to procrastinate – we have to realize that this willingness and drive to spark our artistic fire is already ingrained deep within us. If we can only choose to move past the expectations and pressures we have placed upon ourselves, then we can truly knock down any roadblocks in the way of pursuing and creating what we love.

If you’re reading this, you have the creative potential to build and transform your dreams into a tangible reality. Even if you feel nervous, scared and completely afraid to take the leap, there’s no better time than now to begin.

Let Go of the Pressures & Expectations

Pursuing a creative and artistic path is anything but easy. There is a constant feeling of uncertainty and even in times of success, there is the gnawing feeling that it could easily slip away. Artists are in a constant state of reaching highs and managing lows in the pursuit of turning their projects into a sustainable career.

Being an artist is often regarded by society as a frivolous pursuit. They say the world doesn’t need more artists, that every one thinks they have something worthy of creating. Creativity and expression have been teared down for decades, sitting as the outlier path that can never be fully understood. Because of this, society has prepped us to believe that there is a certain path to follow, one that weaves together immense pressures and expectations to succeed.

You may find that the noise of what you should be doing is halting you from starting what you want to be doing. You have been given this specific narrative that life is a linear line: go to school, get into a good college, find a job, get married, have children and eventually retire – a storyline that lends little room for creativity. And because of this, the idea of veering off this straight path, to lead a life of twists and turns may seem unattainable.

What you need to realize is that to live the life you want you need to let go of the pressures and expectations placed upon you. You need to embrace the difference and change of finding and pushing your creativity to the limits. You need to visualize the life you want to live and do nothing but relentlessly pursue it. You already know that you have the creativity inside of you. The only thing you need to do is to let the fear of what society, your family and your friends will think of you disappear. To pursue or not to pursue your passion isn’t the question, but rather when are you going to start crafting your own creative narrative?

Creativity Happens Through Positive Thinking

One of the top reasons we fail to start to pursue our dreams is due to our own negative outlook on the situation. Instead of being empowered and charged, ready to jump into our artistic project without reservation – we stop to think about all of the boundaries we will have to overcome just to start. Instead of leading with positivity and unwavering self-confidence, we hide away behind a facade of negativity and insecurities.

What you need to remember is that the creativity you have has already been manifesting itself within your every day life. Maybe you have pursued your talent as a weeknight and weekend hobby. Or you have curated your content – things you watch, listen to and read – to express and define the type of creative life you want to lead. Chances are you have already been building and fostering your creative potential without even knowing it.

Yet, this negative projection of the unknown has manifested feelings of doubt and fear into your brain. You are paralyzed by this idea of failure. Instead of focusing on this idea of crashing and burning, think of your creative life as a set of building blocks. In order to achieve what you want, to take the leap of faith for your passion project, there will be small pieces and milestones stacked on one another to concoct your artistic career.

The only way your creativity will grow and thrive is through positive thinking. Visualizing the life you want, setting goals for yourself and seeing each thought as one step closer to putting your creative potential into action.

You Just Need to Start

We can talk in circles about preparing yourself for the leap and how to know that you are ready to begin – but none of this matters if you never start. Too often, we make a laundry list of excuses for why we cannot pursue the life and career we want. Whether it’s a matter of money, time, responsibilities or motivation, it’s apparent that we can find just about anything to build a case against our dreams.

Instead of thinking about the career you want, you need to start aggressively pursuing this goal every single day. You need to wake up with the desire to make your creative ideas into real life projects, to leave the job you hate and start living your life with the intention and purpose you create. You can seek the advice of others and read the experiences of those who have ventured before you, but nothing will happen until you start.

You have the creativity, drive and passion to build your dream career and lifestyle. You have the talent, skills and vision to turn any small thought into a larger, better reality. Even when you’re feeling the most afraid, uninspired and crippled with self doubt, push yourself to get up and just go. There’s no one better than yourself who can build this dream for you. You have the creative potential, passion and drive inside of you. By letting go of pressures, expectations and negative thinking, you can combat all of your fears. Now, all you have to do is begin.