Author: Ifeoluwapo Bezalel
Examination periods are one of the most challenging times we experience as humans: late-night reading, sleepless nights, sips of coffee, and the battle with boring courses. Every time we step into an exam hall, tension fills our bones. Fear whispers in our ears as we say a quiet prayer, then comes the rush to answer all questions before the invigilator shouts, “Pens up!”
The constant need to impress our parents and ensure their sacrifices pay off can be nerve-wracking. Despite how overwhelming it can feel to face an exam, there’s a sense of fulfilment when we view our results. A burden lifts off our shoulders when we realise that we’ve passed. Relief washes over us, knowing we overcame the odds. Surmounting a tough mountain proves that we are stronger than we thought.
It’s a sign that when we put our mind to something, we can achieve it. It shows us what’s possible. This enables us to face the next journey with confidence, knowing we survived a hard phase and can survive another. It exposes us to opportunities we would never have access to if we stayed in our comfort zones.
Learning a new skill can often feel as daunting as writing an exam, especially as a beginner in graphic design or any creative field. Without a mentor, it can feel like you’re pushing a heavy rock uphill by yourself. Charting new territory means starting from scratch. Things often start off messy, and we make many mistakes that leave us questioning our potential. We prefer binge-watching our favourite TV shows or streaming Big Brother Naija to sitting for hours learning design tools.
In addition, we may wonder whether we’re on the right path when there are no clear guidelines for what we should do. Some give up along the way because staying in the familiar means they get to remain experts. It means they don’t have to go through life constantly questioning themselves. They feel a sense of certainty about their decisions compared to starting a new path, which often feels confusing and scary.
Yet staying in the familiar hinders our growth. It may provide short-term fulfilment, but the consequences of doing the same things repeatedly have long-term effects. No one likes doing hard things because we all love to remain in a place that feels comfortable, somewhere that doesn’t require us to push beyond our limits or look foolish. We don’t want to be mocked by friends and family for starting over. We want to appear as though we have life figured out. But our resistance to failures and our need to remain experts come at the expense of our personal growth.
Doing the things we don’t enjoy requires us to cultivate a level of self-discipline beyond what we’re used to. It can feel boring and lonely to go through this journey alone without anyone to encourage us. It may seem futile to keep investing time and resources in ourselves while everyone appears to be living life to the fullest. We may ask if our efforts will ever amount to anything in the future. In that moment, we may not feel confident — just unsure.
However, once we overcome these challenges, we become more competent and better equipped to do more than we could before. This builds our confidence and prepares us for opportunities to solve more design problems. Suddenly, things become clearer. We find that the cost of doing difficult things proffers short-term pain, but long-term creative rewards. We start to make decisions with precision rather than impulse. We feel fulfilled knowing we have a clearer picture of where we’re headed. It gives us conviction that we’re living life on purpose and not in passing.
Knowing everything can make us feel like we’re on the right track, but it can also keep us stagnant. If you value creativity, you need to embrace doubts and uncertainty. It may not always look like it, but it’s a sign you’re doing the right thing. It indicates that you recognise the dangers of certainty and the need to leave what’s familiar. No one feels doubt when they know everything, yet knowing everything means we lose our zeal to learn and grow. We become accepting of a life that’s less than what we’re capable of living.
To do exploits as a creative, you need to enjoy doing hard things. You can’t innovate without encountering roadblocks and creative challenges that require a strong mind and willpower. Solving problems doesn’t become a walk in the park by watching movies late into the night. It becomes easier when we learn to think outside the box, and we can only do so when doing hard things is ingrained in every part of our being, so much so that it becomes a culture.
It’s also important that we don’t go through the journey of learning a new skill alone. Seeking help from various sources which align with your learning goals such as mentors, webinars, seminars or online courses — can make the journey feel lighter.
To do exploits as a creative, you must enjoy doing hard things.