One of the most challenging things that self-care requires us to do is be courageous enough to step out of the box of whatever is holding us back from being the awesome people we are. It requires us to leave the conventional and do what has never been done before, to face the fear of failure so that we can wade through the messiness that leads to success, to trust the unknown so that we can navigate new experiences, to create with the confidence of not needing to be right.

Stepping outside of our boxes allows us to move inside of new spaces of creativity, by being open and receptive to whatever ideas present themselves, and then being brave enough to share them. This process of creating with humility may warrant baby steps, a practical way to build confidence within the timeframe of however long it takes.

For me, creativity is a healing space allowing growth for whatever comes up, psychological safety for innovative thought beyond the confines of doubt.
Each breath is step inside of a moment that cannot limit us from the design of something even better, or the delight of never turning back.

Turn challenges into opportunities.
Don’t let fear, pain, or disappointment hold you back. Create new ways to take action on those things you have wanted to do, or need to do.

“Do field research on yourself, looking for unmet needs in your own daily routine. Generate ideas about what changes in your behavior might be viable, feasible, and desirable. What improvements can you quickly prototype, test, and iterate? Be intentional about choosing actions you can take right now that might add more joy and meaning to your own life—and the lives of the people around you. How might you work within constraints? Keep iterating. Try this out for a month and ask yourself what’s working and what’s not. How can you continue to create more positive impact? As our IDEO friend and colleague Tim Brown writes, ‘Think of today as a prototype. What would you change?'”

Tom and David Kelley, from Creative Confidence