Ideas come and go. They are planted and buds spiral and we watch them grow up, but even then they need to be watered. We look forward to a time when our ideas become successes so that we have something to work toward. But to answer the question of “Does it get easier?”…I have to say, not really. And that’s how it should be.

Sometimes things get easier. Sometimes your little idea grows into a big idea and then you’re finished. You did what you set out to do and boom, it is complete. But most ideas, the ones that really come from our hearts, are never left to the wayside to just be. They are nurtured and cared for as long as possible. And such is true with artists. To be an artist is to put your heart and soul into your work, and to abandon that project would be to disconnect the artist from the art.

I used to think that I would reach a certain point in time when I didn’t have to work as hard or worry as much. And in some ways, this is true. But in most ways, it is so far from the truth. I think constantly about what my next photo series will be because that is what keeps my heart thumping. I think all the time about how I can use the educational platforms I’ve been given to empower and inspire. And I will never, ever stop these things because they are my passion. If I let them go, I would be lost.

Every single time I post a new workshop online, my stomach tenses up, I hide from my computer, and I cry. This is not an exaggeration. There will always be things that make me worry and stir my nerves, but that doesn’t mean it is a bad thing either. It is okay to worry from time to time, or feel less than spectacular, because it means you care. If you didn’t feel that sometimes, you’re probably not terribly invested in your project.

Does it get easier? Yes and no. Yes, because you learn to understand your own process and how that process will be received. Yes, because you learn about who you are and why you do the things you do, and suddenly you are so connected to them that not much else matters. But I have to say no, it doesn’t get easier when it comes to putting your all into your passions. And sometimes that means that you worry, and other times that means you get to experience the euphoria that is the AH-HAH moment we all dream of.

Should it get easier? I don’t think so. We strive for so much because we are beautiful creative creatures meant to put our stamp on our own little worlds. And as long as we’re pursuing what makes us unique, we will do whatever it takes, from beginning to end, to nurture our special journey.