Being A Beginner Is Your First Step To Something Meaningful
Stop Waiting To Be Good At Something Before You Enjoy It
Hello fellow creative,
I’ve talked before about what it means to be a beginner, especially later in life, when we’re used to knowing how to do things. And I want to dive in again, because this is important.
Especially for anyone who is just starting to find their creative expression and their creative voice.
There is an actual gift to being a beginner.
And if you reframe it - not as something you’re lacking but as something you’re gaining - the whole process changes.
Why We Resist Being New
At some point in adulthood, we quietly stop letting ourselves be beginners.
We like being capable.
We like being experienced.
We like knowing our strengths.
But if we’re honest, that comfort can become a cage.
We tell ourselves we’re too old to learn something new.
We don’t want to look foolish.
We don’t want to make mistakes.
And yet, being a beginner is exactly where creativity lives.
This is something I saw modeled beautifully during the years I spent working in an authentic Montessori school.
Each classroom worked in three-year cycles. Every child was the youngest, then the middle, then the oldest. There was no shame in not knowing. The environment expected it. The system was built for it.
Imagine if life after 50 worked like that too. What if we stopped avoiding the feeling of being new and instead made room for it. Honored it.
The Beginner Season You’re In
When you’re starting something…watercolor, gardening, ceramics, writing a podcast script…you get to approach it with curiosity rather than pressure.
You’re not responsible for being great. You’re just responsible for showing up.
So many of us have been taught that creativity is a luxury. Something you earn only after everything else is done. But what if creativity is actually the work?
What if this next chapter is less about proving and more about discovering?
Try This
Make a Beginner’s List
Write down three creative skills or mediums you’ve always been curious about. Don’t overthink it, just write them.
If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, reach out to me. Helping people see their creative options is something I’ve always done and brings me so much joy.
Name the Fear
For each one, ask yourself:
What’s actually holding me back?
Fear of failure?
Looking silly?
Feeling behind?
Trying once and having it not go well?
People in your life who comment or influence you and make you self-conscious?
Naming it takes away the power of the vague “something” that keeps you stuck. It also gives you something to work on and change, if you chose to.
Find Your First Step
Could you take a free online class?
Visit a local art store?
Join a Facebook group?
Watch a YouTube video?
There are so many workshops and classes - online and in person, all price ranges. You can even begin privately, in the comfort of your home.
Reflect Back
What did you love doing before anyone was watching? That’s the trailhead. That’s where your creative gold usually hides.
There is almost always something from childhood that points toward who you still are.
For me, I loved sewing clothes for my Barbies. Eventually, I went to college for fashion design and now I love to make elaborate costumes for my family and sew home decor.
Find that seed that may be lying dormant.
Remember
There’s no rule that says you need to be good at something to enjoy it.
There’s no deadline.
There’s no committee judging your efforts.
There’s just you - and the quiet pull toward something new.
Being a beginner is not a setback. It’s the first step toward building something meaningful. And often, the most courageous one.
Start small.
Begin again.
You truly have no idea what could unfold.
If You Want Help
You don’t have to do this alone.
I’ve been a creative mentor in one form or another my entire life…sometimes through sharing my own work, sometimes by walking people through the steps, helping them find a creative location or hobby, or working one-on-one to shape their business, brand, or event.
People have been asking me for a way to go deeper, so I’m offering it in a more formal fashion now.
If you want support, if you want to talk through your specifics, understand how I generate ideas, or see what lights you up - I’m here. Click below and let’s talk!
Until next time,
Pam
Work With Me
Creative Mentor Sessions
Creativity is not about talent or output, it’s about awareness. Helping you see the world and yourself through a new lens.
Join me for a guided conversation to help you discover and build confidence in your personal creative identity.
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