One of the interesting challenges of pivoting from my career as a music and brain neuroscientist (which involved a hell of a lot of training) to my current career as a blogger, podcaster, designer, and creative director is that I am self-taught everything. An example: The second business I started after leaving academia was a stationery and custom design business called Posh Peacock, which I ultimately started because I wanted to make a baby shower invite for a friend but couldn't find any designs I liked. I figured, "I guess I'll download the free 30-day trial of Adobe Illustrator and see if I can figure out how to create vector art." The business did very well, but periodically I felt overwhelmed by impostor syndrome because I wasn't a trained graphic artist.
During one of these episodes of self-doubt, my husband Jon said, "Christine, go read your press page. And every time you feel the self-doubt creep in, read it again." It proved a powerful exercise; reminding myself of other people's words about my work really helped me stay grounded and confident as I worked to create new things.
I bring this memory up because on Monday I received an incredibly kind and generous message via social media (from someone I do not know personally). The person told me that as she prepared for a very intense week, she decided to write down the name of a person to inspire her through the week, and that person was me. Cue many feelings.
After responding to this person, I thought about Jon's comment and took a screenshot of the message so I can have it readily available on my phone. Working on the Internet is not easy; nastiness can come when you're least expecting it. I thought to myself, "KEEP THIS HANDY FOR THE HATER DAYS." Bigger picture, though, it also made me realize that there are people I think about through the week who inspire me and how each and every one of us likely serves as an inspirational touch point for someone else...we may just not know it.
So as you move through your days, if you encounter moments of self-doubt, think about words of kindness or accolades you have received. And if you feel so compelled, issue words of kindness to those who inspire you. The touch points matter so much.
