A letter:

Dear Self (and others like you),

The world is full of creative people, and the internet is like a full-to-busting library of all their work. Only, in this library you can borrow more than plain old books. Yes, you can also peek into other peoples' journals, open their sketchbooks, browse through their rolls of undeveloped film, and -- sometimes -- look inside their brains.

It's inspiring. Amazing. Mind-blowing. And sometimes it gets you down. You think that the way you see the world, and the way you interpret what you see, is nothing compared to the way they see it. What they do is wondrous and otherworldly, but what you do is mediocre.

Well, Self, I need to tell you something.

We've already established that you're not a genius and never will be. I'm sure you know that you've got a lot to learn. But let one of the first things you learn be this: what you do is mediocre to you just because you do it. Think about it. Of course you cannot look again through your own eyes at a work you've created as a result of what you see with those eyes. Of course it will all be familiar. Of course you will understand that about 99% of the world's creative people will be able to do better.

But none of that matters.

This is because God made you who you are, and because His work has value, the way you see the world has value. Oh, don't get proud about it. It has value because of Him, not because of you. And I'm not telling you to find yourself, because it's finding Him that matters. But, Self, please be happy being You. God made you You for some reason, even if you never get it. So be the best possible version of You, for His glory and smile.

Love,
Danielle