So I have been commenting on the Joy Diet chapters on this blog for a couple of weeks. Risk is not something that I am good at doing. I am not a risk taker! I fear failure! Unfortunately I am a perfectionist and if I don't think that I can do something, I very rarely try it. That is one of my biggest faults. I may have a true desire, but I don't attempt it due to fearing failure. For me, it's amazing how the 3 topics have melded so well. The first thing that I wrote about was desire. One thing that I think I desire is using my love of creativity and my professional career choice of social work to provide for my family. That also contains some of what I wrote about with regards to creativity. I am so afraid that I will make a fool of myself by failing that I don't want to take the risk. One thing that I have been thinking about doing is combining journal making with journaling (as a job) so that I can be creative and also utilize my degree which I worked so hard for and actually do enjoy. I am taking a professional workshop in journal in December and hope that it will help me be able to take a risk and move forward with this dream. Even if I don't truly act as a social worker, but can just show people the benefits of journaling, I think that I will be happy, especially if I am also helping them to create the journal that they are documenting in. Along with this I think that I would love to do more with soul collages. I experienced this during a social work class and never really did anything with it. Lastly, I am interested in aromatherapy and am slowly learning on my own. I would love to take the risk and do more with it.
So I definitely have risk that I want to take, and maybe I am slowly moving forward to actually taking them. I am at least trying to learn more so that if and when I do take the risk, I will have more knowledge, which will hopefully make me more comfortable!
Oh perfectionism, that nasty beast!! :) I too was shackled to perfectionism for much too long..now that I have broken those bonds I feel SO much better!! I actually like my mistakes, the things that don't turn out as I'd like. I won't go as far as calling them failures!!
ReplyDeleteI think combining journal work with your social work degree is an ideal blend Amy. Perhaps you won't be a "typical" social worker in the sense of what you learned while studying. Perhaps you will branch off into your own specialty and create a practice for yourself that you find as rewarding as your clients will.
Thank you for being so honest with your experiences with risk. I absolutely love your idea of journal making as a living. Here is to taking baby steps to make all of your dreams come true.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I can so relate to that longing for perfection... to not look like an idiot as we stumble... Keep moving forward, however slowly you need to go... just one tiny step speaks volumes of your courage and your willingness to grow!
ReplyDeleteKeep making baby steps. They are sometimes the best.
ReplyDeleteDon't only think of risk as those big things, each thing that you do that challenges you a teensy bit AND moves you toward your desires is a risk in the right direction. Your dream sounds very doable from here. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteInteresting...social work and art...journaling...a great segway to an art therapy career. Something to think about!
ReplyDeleteMany of us have wrestled with that perfectionism beast. Be gentle with yourself and just keep moving forward! And acknowledge yourself for the steps you have taken!
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