The Courage to Share: A Creator’s Journey beyond self doubt

Dec 10

“What will people think?” is the quickest way to kill your creativity

I hear this all the time from creatives, and I’ve said it myself:

“What will people think?”

That question will stop you before you even start. You start overthinking, you get quiet, you delay posting, and next thing you know you have a whole camera roll of work nobody has seen.

I’ve been there.

When I first started Kwame Blue, I was always thinking:

Are people going to take this seriously?
Are they going to think I’m doing too much?
Are they going to call it weird?

And honestly, the moment I stopped caring so much about everybody’s opinion, I got way more free creatively. My work got better, I started posting more, and I started connecting with the people my work was actually meant for.

Here’s what I learned.

1.Your work isn't for everyone, and that's OK

One of the biggest mistakes creators make is trying to be liked by everyone.

That is impossible.

When I first started sharing my photos, I was stressing over little stuff. Color grading, skin texture, “is this cool enough,” “does this look like everybody else’s work.”

Then I realized something: I do not need to impress people who are not even my audience.

The people who get it, will get it. The people who do not, were never for you in the first place.

So instead of trying to win everybody over, focus on making work that your people will recognize instantly.

2. Safe Isn’t Memorable

I’m going to keep it real.

The worst thing for a creator is not getting hate.
The worst thing is being ignored.

When you play it safe, you might avoid criticism, but you also avoid impact.

And if you are worried about being seen as “weird,” just remember this: a lot of things that look weird in the moment end up being the reason people remember you.

Prince is the easiest example. People did not always understand him, but he stayed himself. Now he is literally an icon.

My best creative jumps happened when I stopped trying to make everything perfect and started making it honest.

Real beats perfect every time.

3.Start Small, Build Big

Confidence is not something you wake up with. You build it.

The same way you build muscle. The same way you build endurance.

Earlier this year I wanted to run 5 miles for the first time, and I’m not going to lie, it sounded crazy at first.

So I started small. One lap.

For almost a week, my only goal was to show up and run one lap. Then two. Then three. Nothing fancy. Just progress.

And every time I ran, I learned something:

how to breathe better
what music actually keeps me locked in
what happens when you cramp up
how important warm-ups and hydration really are

Eventually I ran 3 miles straight. Then I hit 5.

And it reminded me of the same thing with creating.

You do not go from scared to confident overnight. You go from one post to ten posts. One shoot to ten shoots. One idea to a whole series.

Start small. Build it up.

Your Creativity Deserves to Be Seen

People are going to judge no matter what. That part is guaranteed.

The real question is: are you going to let that stop you?

Not everyone will vibe with your work and that is fine. The goal is not to be for everybody. The goal is to connect with the people who actually need what you do.

Post the work.
Share the reel.
Book the shoot.
Try the idea.

The right people are already watching. They just need to see you show up.