I’ll admit it, I struggle when I am not immediately good at something. But, I am trying to challenge myself to try new things and just appreciate the experience and opportunity to learn.
I came across the Instagram account “doodlewithrachel” and was immediately drawn to her content. Rachel shares step by step instructions on how to “doodle,” creating fun designs meant to spark joy. I am not a naturally creative or artistic person but have always wanted an activity like this to engage in. The doodling seemed incredibly relaxing and satisfying to me and I saw this as something I could do as a mindful and soothing practice.
So, I ordered all my supplies and settled in one evening to get started. and of course...it wasn’t perfect. I KNEW this would be the case but I had to actively remind myself of the intention and that this wasn’t about perfection. I let myself get lost in the lines and the colouring, while also being mindful of not spending too long on it so that it stayed a relaxing activity rather than a project to complete.
As I finished my first doodle, I felt a lot of pride in having stuck with it, despite the discomfort of not excelling at the skill. I was able to embrace the mistakes and be curious about how I could improve on the techniques in the future.
This was an incredible opportunity to not only engage in my value of self-care through a relaxing activity but also brought forward my value of self-development. Beyond the creative skills that I hope to develop further, it gave me an opportunity to practise being a beginner and finding enjoyment in something without needing to be good at it.