Not many people know this, but when I started LifeAfterBreakfast years ago, I kept it as a private blog for 4 whole months. I created this as a commitment to creativity—my personal project. We all know that the beginning is always the shaky part. I wanted to make sure that this was something I could stick to, so I kept it to myself first. In those 4 months, I “holed up” in the process of just creating and experimenting, and I learned a lot about my own strengths & weaknesses.
There are those who want to declare their personal projects publicly so that they have ‘witnesses’ to their promise. Maybe that pushes them to keep going. But why place unnecessary, added pressure, when the thought of beginning something is already pressure in itself? You don’t always have to share everything that you start. Sometimes, the sharing bit can even limit the creative process (what will others think? how many likes will this get?). Remember, this is your process, and your journey. Not anyone else’s.
In private, gather your material, and document your development. Put it out there when there has been progress already. When there is already a consistent theme. When there is something to see. When there is something worth seeing. When I made this blog public, I already had 50 previous posts readers could read through.
But it’s also important to have a goal, and to define a project’s purpose. If learning is the only goal, then maybe it can stay in private. If sharing your work is part of the goal, then create work that is worth sharing. The creative process (learning & making) is a huge part of the reason why you create, but it should not end there. I personally believe that as makers, we all have to be responsible for what we put out into the world! Create beautiful things. Make crafts, not crap. Your works should be pang-Etsy, not panget-sy. 😛
Have that purpose and goal, not for the world to know, but for you to believe in and hold on to when there are doubts and challenges and monsters in your head (and sometimes, around you :P). Whatever it may be, just begin. 🙂