Let the Challenges Stretch You
This blog post was originally published on hilovegreetings.com on December 12, 2022. This is a re-publish for our newly designed website. Thanks for joining us! We appreciate your support.
Imposter syndrome. Lack of self-confidence. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Most people have felt at least one of these things at some point. If you’re a creator or business owner, it may be a daily challenge. I’m not sure I’ll ever be completely rid of these feelings, but my daily goal is to keep them in check and not let them guide my decision making. I nearly let these fears keep me from applying to be a vendor at a major event. The North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) are happening in Kjipuktuk (Halifax) in July, 2023.
“Halifax and Nova Scotia will welcome more than 5,000 athletes, performers, coaches and managers from over 756 nations from across Turtle Island (North America).”
- naig2023.com
This is a huge deal for Indigenous youth from many communities, as well as the volunteers and visitors that will all be a part of the gathering. It will have a significant and lasting cultural, educational, and economic impact on our region.
Part of the largest cultural and sporting event to ever happen in Atlantic Canada is a Cultural Village that includes a Cultural Village Artist & Vendor Marketplace. I’ve been a vendor and organizer with some large markets in the past, but not like this. The North American Indigenous Games happen every 4 years (longer this time due to the pandemic) and it’s an event focused on Indigenous people. Athletes, elders, knowledge keepers, visitors, families, and friends all gathering to celebrate, compete, and share with the community as a whole.
“Celebrating culture is a large part of The Games. NAIG 2023 will incorporate Mi’kmaq values, customs and traditions into all spaces of events taking place.
Since time immemorial, Nova Scotia has been home to the Mi’kmaq people. Mi’kmaq and First Nations people have enriched this province with their oral history, legends, art, music, spirituality, and language.”
- https://naig2023.com/culture/
Print of digital painting and illustration from hi, love. greetings Northern Lights collection.
As an Indigenous person (Inuk, a beneficiary of Nunatsiavut) living in Nova Scotia, I knew from the moment I heard about NAIG that I wanted to be involved in some way. At my former job in radio, my employer became a supporter of the event and I was proud to be asked to voice an ad for the 1-year out countdown event. I was sure I’d be able to be involved in some way through my on-air position or as a volunteer.
I left my radio career at the end of August, 2022, and starting my own creative services and handmade goods business here with hi, love. greetings. I then noticed the call for applications from potential vendors for the Cultural Village Artist & Vendor Marketplace.
My first reaction was, “Wow, what a unique and amazing opportunity this will be for folks from all over!” My second thought was, “I wish I could do something like that.” It took a little head shaking before I finally thought, “Is this something I could do?”
A flurry of challenges around attending a market of this importance and scale flooded my mind. The costs, the time, the preparation and making. The negative thoughts of, “Am I good enough?” “Would they even consider someone like me?” “Am I creative enough?” “Am I a real artist?” “Will my business be around in a year?”
I’m always willing to cheer on someone else and help navigate them out of this type of negative self-talk. However, when it comes to me, I’m very much still a work in progress. I’m self-taught and I do have many years of experience. But, I still create loops of self discouragement that make me question my worth and contributions as an artist and maker.
I’m privileged and fortunate to have a strong support system that helps to keep the negative self-talk in check. My husband is incredibly supportive and encouraging. My family and friends are also supportive of me and my work. I’ve also found support and confidence through workshops I’ve attended recently through CBDC and NWAC’s #BeThe Drum program.
Who is in your corner? Are there virtual groups you can join with folks who share similar interests and passions? Identify people in your circle with whom you can trust to share your challenges. Stretching and expanding your network is a great way to build-up your confidence and courage.
Encouragement card by hi, love greetings.
When it’s just me, alone with my thoughts, I know that to build my wall of defence against the negative self-talk, I have to believe that I’m enough. That I’m worthy of a seat at the table. That I have knowledge and skills to share. That I have imagination, creativity, and ideas inside of me that deserve to be nurtured. You also have all of these, by the way.
I often try to mask my internal challenges with practical external ones. For example, telling my husband that it would be too much for him to take time off work or it would be too big of a financial investment to attend this market. Really, I was just doubting myself and my abilities. He, without hesitation, offered to spend his Summer vacation with me at this market, should I be accepted. We’d find a way to make the extra business investment work.
“Create a pick-me-up folder and fill it with messages of encouragement that you’ve received from others. Positive feedback, thoughtful reviews, hand-written notes, emails, and constructive advice that has helped you are all things you can use to fill this virtual or physical folder. Refer to it when you need help quieting the negative self-talk. It will remind you of your accomplishments, how you’ve overcome past challenges, and how you’ve made a positive impact on others. It’s fuel for moving forward.”
So, I applied. I made peace with myself that whether or not I was accepted, I was proud to have applied. Challenges like these will come along regularly for me as a creative entrepreneur, small business owner, and artist. (Yes, I still hesitated a little on writing that word). But, this choice to apply or not forced me to look deeper into this new life path I’ve chosen and cement why I chose it. I left a career in radio that I was successful in for more than 17 years. My confidence had been shaken near the end of that career. I had questioned my self-worth and value as a professional. I took time after leaving that job to rest, heal, and decide on my next steps.
Becoming a self-employed entrepreneur felt like a natural choice. It just felt right. It was something I’d wanted for years. I never once questioned it was how I wanted to work, be productive, and contribute to my family and community. The challenge that forced me to stretch was choosing to put myself out there. To be vulnerable in a new field. To put my creative self out there as more than a hobby. To be a professional creative in a whole new way.
Choosing to apply for the NAIG Cultural Village Artist & Vendor Marketplace was giving myself a big, shiny checkmark. I gave myself a stamp of approval. It gave me the confidence to keep pursuing my entrepreneurial dream. I applied and let it go. I carried on with my business planning, setting up the hi, love. greetings shop and building the menu of creative services I wanted to offer. I attended a couple of smaller markets and the renovations on a new home office continued. I felt more creative than I had in months. I created my new Northern Lights collection. I practiced photo printing. I spent hours planning and dreaming up new products to make and services I knew could help others. I spoke up in workshops and was even asked to attend an extra to help share my skills in branding and marketing. (Speaking up in that workshop just landed me a call with a potential new branding client!) Choosing to apply for the NAIG market stretched me and my business. It opened me up and reminded me what I am capable of.
The first two pieces in the hi, love. greetings Northern Lights print collection, Inuksuk and Scrubby Spruce Trees.
Let the challenges stretch you. Trust me, you won’t break. Let them guide you in a way that allows you to set your own boundaries and goals. Let the challenges force you to dig deep and ask questions about your intentions and motivations. Let them open you to accept encouragement and support from others. Let the challenges be a force for positive change. I also believe part of this includes reaching out for support when you need it. Asking others for help or guidance is an often difficult, but necessary, step for all of us.
A few days ago, I found out I was accepted as a vendor for the NAIG Cultural Village Artist & Vendor Marketplace. I was sitting at my laptop in the evening in my jammies working on some product photo edits when the email came in. I burst into some ugly tears (I wasn’t wearing waterproof mascara, unfortunately) and read it multiple times just to make sure I was seeing it correctly. I was elated, surprised, thrilled, and then quickly a bit anxious and nervous. I was able to push those feelings aside and let the joy happen.
The challenge of applying and what I learned from it allowed me to accept the positive outcome with gratitude and celebration. My mind quickly turned to thoughts of how my set-up would look, who my vendor neighbours might be, what new product and design ideas I had, and where we might stay for a week during the market! My thoughts were racing in a fun way. (Think Mario Kart Rainbow Road when you’re in the lead and loaded with red Koopa Shells kind of racing). I’ve accepted this incredible challenge and opportunity and will be working on making it a success and positive experience for me, my business, my family, the NAIG Cultural Village, and all the folks I’ll meet July 15 - 23, 2023.
The challenges we face will never go away or stop being, well… challenging. But, building a solid wall of defence against negative self-talk will make us more resilient. Find yourself a cheerleader. Build a network of folks who see you the way you should be seeing yourself. If you need one more voice to cheer you on, reach out to me. I’d count myself lucky to be on your side. Let the challenges stretch and grow you. Allow yourself to go further than you ever thought possible.
