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editor’s note: Today we’re welcoming our first Guest Maven to share some thoughts around our themes each week- leading us off, the awesome Kerry Burki! She’s the editor of Handmade Success and also a yoga teacher and today she’s sharing her thoughts and some fantastic tips on how to get past beginner fears to just get started already! Take it away, Kerry!
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Hello fellow mavens!
As of yesterday, I am a beginner vlogger and printable creator! I shared a technique to help you feel more grounded on my blog Kema & Co. Today, I wanted to talk with you about the things I thought were holding me back and what helped me take the steps I needed to reach my goals.
I had the idea for a video series a while ago but I…
- wanted my blog to look better
- wondered if I should have a logo
- wanted to figure how how to put my photo in the sidebar
- wondered if my site should be www.kerryburki.com or www.kemaandco.com
- wanted to lose the baby weight
- wanted the perfect theme for my blog
- wondered how detailed my “about” page should be
- wanted to find the perfect background for the video
- wondered if a podcast would be easier than a video
- wanted to learn more about video/podcast editing
- wondered if it mattered that I don’t have any followers on my blog
- wanted to find a cool way to get my students testimonials on my website
- wondered if I should have a professional yoga teacher website in addition to my blog
- wanted to learn more about how to make and share printables
Geez louise! That is A LOT of wondering and wanting! If I waited for all of these things to happen then these videos were never going to get made.
Tips for getting past the doubt and getting motivated:
Don’t Wait For The Perfect Time to Start Because it Does Not Exist
One of our contributors on Handmade Success wrote this in a post last week about building confidence and it really stood out to me. What was I waiting for?!
Tell People
I started telling people I was going to add a video or podcast to the blog and then they started asking me how it was going. So last week I decided that’s it! I am going to put a podcast on my blog next Monday!
Say Yes
I told Jena that I was putting a podcast on my blog about about a grounding technique I love to use. She responded asking me if I would like to write this blog post about being a beginner at something. I wrote back saying yes and that I was so inspired by her video that I wanted to do a video too plus a printable. Then on Sunday I was like,”Holy crap! Did I say I would create a video and a printable, put them on my blog and write a blog post about it for The Maven Circle?!”
Saying yes was the motivation I needed to go and do all of these things! I will admit that I had to use my own grounding technique and Jena’s stress reliever A LOT but I got it done!
Have a Mentor or Friend to Share With
Before I posted this video I showed Jordan who I work with at Handmade Success. I trust and appreciate her opinion. She loved it and that helped give me the confidence to share it.
Let Go
I work with the yoga and handmade community everyday and have been looking for ways to merge my interests. I decided to just let go of trying so hard and see what happens. Then I started to realize that a lot of people I interact with through Handmade Success do not have the time or money to practice yoga. I hope by making these short videos I can begin to offer the benefits of yoga to more people.
I also need to let go of worrying about quality. I realize now that over time as I share more videos and printables I will find my voice, learn more and have room to get more creative. As a beginner, I am sharing from my heart and doing my best and that is a pretty good place to start!
I loved the quote from Monday’s wallpaper that said “Be Willing To Be A Beginner Every Single Morning.” by Meister Eckhart. In yoga, it is always said that even as you progress as a teacher you will always be a student. Also, that the best teachers are the best students.
That willingness to never stop learning will keep our lives full and abundant, open new doors, show us opportunities that we never knew existed and even ones that we never knew we wanted.
Ultimately, as soon as I started to share my ideas and dreams they started to come true!
Thank you so much Jena for being a part of this story and a super big thanks to both Jena and Jen for the opportunity to share with you here and for having such an amazing blog!
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Have you become a beginner recently or are you working on something right now?
Share with us in the comments and hopefully that will also be the beginning of you getting it done and sharing it with the world!
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Kerry Burki is the editor at Handmade Success, a blog dedicated to supporting creative entrepreneurs. She has been teaching yoga since 2004 and she blogs about yoga, handmade and life at Kema & Co. Originally from Arizona, she lives in Chicago with her husband and two little boys. She is constantly looking for ways to create a more awesome life for others, her family, and herself!
Kerry! Your list is so much like my list! I can definitely relate to taking on new ventures and wanting everything to happen at once (not to mention everything to be perfect). Why do we do this to ourselves with the whole “perfection” thing? Just saying yes and seeing what happens is a beautiful thing. Thank you for sharing your story! Great video by the way!
Oh Maria! Thank you so much! It is really nice to hear you can relate. We are so hard on ourselves but it really does seem that the more we share with others the better things get. I really like that Jena and Jen are starting to create a community that will allow us to share more!
Kerry, your post was great! Thank you for writing it. Also loved the grounding technique- what a great tool for finding your center. Thanks again! – Jen
Aw, thanks Kerry! We’re so glad to have as part of it- thanks again for sharing your voice with us here! -jena
Starting trouble – its something we all share don’t we ?! Beautiful post Kerry ! Thanks for coming out of your shell & taking the leap :)
Kerry, this is all such great advice. Thank you for the reminder that there is never a perfect time to start something. Over the years this is something I have struggled with. It seems like when I let go of this feeling and go for something, great things happen. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much Lakshmi and Jordan! I happy that it resonated with you. It is amazing the things you learn when you get off your bum, out of your head and do what you want to do!
Thanks for a truly helpful and encouraging post…I opened my etsy shop and got serious about my blog in March, so most of the time, I really don’t know what I am doing, but sure have learned alot, and the clueless times are much less:) I’m having fun, and have truly grown as a person and an artist-it’s good to hear about the “beginings” other people have!
Hi Jan! Thank you so much for sharing here! I love hearing that you are having fun and growing as a person. I feel like I am doing the same. Good luck to you!
[...] One of my favorite things about working on Handmade Success is when I read a post and relate to the contributor, then readers comment saying that they feel the same way. I love that feeling of connection and community. Since I have been following The Maven Circle I have felt less alone in a lot of my feelings of procrastination, self-care, balance, and motivation. [...]