During my late teens/early twenties I recall being told that I need to “Find Myself”. I never asked what that meant or even why it was said to me. (Back then I was quite timid and internalized everything in a not- so- healthy- overthinking kind of way). But every time I heard that statement, I remember feeling more and more inadequate.
I felt that I wasn't enough and that somewhere out there, a piece of me was ‘missing’ and this led to me putting so much pressure on myself to get up and go find it. I searched for it in family, friends, relationships, in splurging, in having a good time, in work …etc. But the more that I did, is the further I felt from accomplishing my mission.
You see the problem with the statement - ’find yourself’, was that I took it literally…almost too literally. But I would later learn that to ‘find oneself’ simply required that one looked within. So in essence, the very thing that I was in search of was actually with me the whole time. The irony right?
Over the past month at EAST YARD I've been able to really dig deep and build on understanding who I am and what I'm meant to be through sessions facilitated by Kevon Foderingham. These sessions on Personal Branding, Networking for Creatives & the I AM Experiment , have challenged me to finally make a clear plan and to solidify the ideas surrounding my way forward in this work and world as a creative, as an entrepreneur, as a brand and as an individual.
And if I had any doubts before about where I’m currently at, I know now that I am exactly where I am supposed to be - doing exactly what I'm meant to do…
As always, I am excited for where this adventure leads to next…till then, stay learning, growing & creating.
- Dominique