Feel the fear and do SOMETHING anyway...
I think anyone who has been to a workshop, or a retreat, or a conference can probably identify with this: at the workshop/conference/retreat you are surrounded by people with similar ideas, concerned with similar topics. People are super inspiring, supportive, and encouraging. You gain a ton of new ideas, hopes, plans, and dreams. It's like a positive echo-chamber of learning and growth. It's generally a sad leaving, and then you head home, inevitably exhausted, wistful for the end of the event, brain spinning with ideas.
And those feelings last for approximately a day when you arrive home. And then your usual fears, anxieties, day-to-day challenges, and general life things start to creep in.
This is something I'm currently struggling with. The normal fears and anxieties of general life are compounded by a few extra stresses right now:
I'm not sure yet if I'll be getting EI. As far as I am aware I should be able to get it, but I'm still waiting to hear if I will or not.
My income is now solely reliant on my hustle. I do have money in savings, but ideally, I'd rather not have to use too much of that.
I've committed to starting a business. This is terrifying to me.
Logically, I know that there are TONS of other people in the world who run their own businesses and manage to be successful. Theoretically, I know that I am capable of doing this.
And this is where the "feel the fear and do something anyway" comes in. I've been feeling some pretty intense fear. I'm terrified that the baby steps won't be enough. Even though I know, logically, that the worst thing that could happen is I may have to go get a minimum wage retail job.
So, I'm trying. I'm actively trying to make baby-steps every single day towards this business. I've done new things in the past week that I would not have done a few months ago. I've asked for help from friends. I've asked for and booked shoots with actual real humans (after spending the last 4-5 years AVOIDING portraits, this is pretty big). I've approached a local business owner that I do not know to ask if I can shoot in her shop. I've embraced introductions to new people and have agreed to explore new possibilities for collaboration. While I've been shooting every day for 3 years now, I've started trying to do a self-portrait every day. I've heard from several people that doing a self-portrait project helped them learn a ton about shooting portraits, from lighting to posing. I registered for my sole proprietorship. I've posted photos for critique in the workshop group forum. I've kept in contact with the workshop participants.
I'm not sure how to maintain the positive vibes on this side of the workshop?
One thing I haven't done yet: type up my notes. Perhaps that's the next thing I should do. Maybe that would bring back some of the inspiration.
Have you ever had this experience?
Did you find ways to maintain the ambition and inspiration?
What would you suggest?
How do you combat fear and make yourself do things anyway?