Don't mind the mess
Have you ever noticed how when you start to clean or declutter a space, it usually gets really messy before it gets all tidied up? You take out the stuff, sort through it, rediscover a few things, get sentimental over some, and before you know it, you’re in the middle of a mountain of mess. But isn’t that how most things start out? You jump into something new and no matter how much you think you’re prepared, there’s going to be a bit (or a lot) of mess before you get things done.
Bumpy beginnings and birthing pains often accompany new ventures and major changes. But messy starts shouldn’t discourage you from moving forward. We’re all allowed to suck, to be beginners, and yes, to make a mess of it at times. A few of our Common Room makers have shared before how they’ve pushed themselves in spite of messy starts (and restarts) and forged ahead.
1. Change your mindset.
One of the many things we love about this gem of an interview with Hannah Armada when a brand strategist critiqued Studio Haebi was her honesty about what she had to go through and find a way to restart. She stalled for a year, admitting that she let fear overtake her. The artist and enamel pin maker had already started her plans. “But I just didn’t have the push to do it.” Hannah realized that the problem was she was too afraid that it wouldn't meet her expectations, so she knew she had to change her mindset.
She started by taking up new hobbies and learning new skills, which pushed her out of her comfort zone. “I had to be patient with myself… I had to allow myself to think that I won’t learn this from the first 60 minutes that somebody taught me,” she shared. “But that was my expectation for myself. That I can instantly learn it and instantly do it.”
There’s nothing wrong with setting high standards, but holding yourself to unrealistic expectations is another matter. And when you’re just getting started, that type of thinking will just make you feel overwhelmed amidst the jumble of things to do and learn.
2. Take a deep breath.
When brush lettering artist Louise Anog tried jeepney signage making with Kuya Edwin Tayao in one of our recent episodes, it was a first for her and she tried to just have fun with it. “It’s better to relax and just breathe,” she said on trying a new craft.
It’s not surprising that when faced with the unfamiliar we can get nervous and anxious and that the one piece of advice that’s easily given is to “breathe.” We all know how to do it, we breathe all the time. But are we doing it correctly?
Studies have long shown us that there’s a mind-body connection that affects our overall health and well-being. Breathing techniques and exercises are known to help strengthen this mind-body connection as it “can calm the mind and energize the body.” So while we try to change our mindset when it comes to unrealistic expectations and messy starts, try and do breathing exercises as well to keep both our mind and body out of panic mode when we find ourselves in a mess.
3. Find the joy in the process.
When we start to pursue a hobby, there’s a good chance we do it because we enjoy it. Louise started hand lettering because of scrapbooking. “It came from something I love doing and something I enjoy,” said the graphic designer and visual artist. It was the same for the women behind the Attic Yarn and Craftery with crocheting, for the sisters behind Wabi Sabi Studio with pottery, and this jeweler and his wife with urban farming.
If you’re lucky enough to get a chance to pursue something you love to do, hold on to the joy it gives you. Because when it gets hard and messy, that joy is one of the things that can keep you from quitting. It applies to business as well.
“Finding joy in the process of making is one of the secrets in building a resilient business,” said Common Room and Popjunklove co-founder Maan Agsalud, who shared small business advice for makers in this episode. “As a business owner you’ll encounter a lot of hardships… so you really have to reassess and check in with yourself if you are still finding joy in running your business. Whether you like it or not, your joy is actually reflected in the output that you make.”
4. You don’t need to know everything.
Maan, together with her sister Roma, didn’t know the first thing about having a business when they started Popjunklove. They were the family’s breadwinners and needed extra income. In their interview for RCBC Boz Sessions, the sisters shared all about the mistakes they made including not knowing business basics, but that didn’t stop them from forging ahead.
Whether it’s a business or a hobby, there’s no way to know everything about it in order to avoid any mistakes. It’s all part of the mess, which is where growth happens.
5. Share your story.
You know what helps when you feel like you’re struggling and don’t have it all figured out? Knowing you’re not alone. Sharing your story is a way to connect—whether it’s a meetup with a friend about feeling stuck with your passion project or a social media post about the difficulties of making art and making a living.
“Whatever quirks you have, be your authentic self and people will resonate with that,” advised Maan to small biz makers and entreps. If your journey toward a new hobby or your own venture starts off with a mess and is riddled with difficulty, you don’t have to struggle alone.
A writer-artist once wrote that “we feel a sense of kinship when we acknowledge our difficulties, when we don’t have to gloss over the truth..” When you remain honest with your journey, in both its delightful and unpleasant mess, you get to move forward. Plus, you won’t be alone.