We are all looking for validation in the things we are building or creating. Insecurities and self doubt are a part of any creative endeavor, but I feel like our generation is taking it to new levels of “unhealthy”. My recommendation…

I don’t think that the desire for validation is greater than it has been in the past (I think it is human nature), but it’s availability is far more present than ever before in human history thanks to social media and how it has shaped our culture. A simple (but not trivial) example: We incessantly check the “likes” on a photo that we post, wanting to have other people tell us how good it is.

I was recently talking to a friend about a new photography business he was hoping to start. What I loved most about his strategy to get things going is how he visited a handful of businesses he wanted to work with to shoot actual photos.

When most of us would be holding our talents hostage, only to release them upon being hired, Jamie decided to do the work. He chose himself, believed in his point of view, and has something tangible to show a client when he presents his work.

The applications of this are far reaching but my encouragement to you is to simply BEGIN. You want to write, start a blog. You have a business idea, start selling something. You want to work with a specific company, show them who you are by what you create.