It’s my birthday and I’ll write a blog post if I want to

Today is my 25th birthday. I’m officially a quarter of a century old. I’m supposedly in the prime of my life, although I’m not sure that one’s true. I’m in my mid-twenties and I’m going through all of the anxieties and confusion of “who am I?”, “is this being an adult?”, “what do I actually want to do?”, “where did my friends go?”, “how do I make new ones?”, “wait, how am I meant to save for a house?”, and everything in between. But I’m also more settled in myself than I think I have ever been, a reflection I seem to have every year.

Expect updates to the blog and my portfolio and store to match my new age and outlook.

I’ve never really had much of an issue with the idea of getting older, but maybes ask me about that when I’m turning 60. In fact, when I was a kid, I feel like I was always waiting to get older, waiting to be an adult. Now, I’m pretty content with where I’m at. 25 feels about right.

I was going to do a potted summary of what I’ve achieved this year, but as I started to work out my list I realised it wasn’t all that exciting. I haven’t done many of those big life-changing things this year. I guess that’s part and parcel of getting older. When you’re 5, you grow so quickly and hit milestones every other day. When you’re nearing 25 that doesn’t happen as frequently. But that’s not to say I’ve not achieved anything.

In the last 12 months I have…

• pushed my illustration practice further and further forward. I’m working with exciting clients on exciting projects, and I’m starting to turn it into a real business.
• grown in my role in my day job. I’m being trusted more and more to take on big chunks of work on my own, which is a big deal as a consultant. I’m currently working on a super important project around asylum appeals as well.
• started taking care of myself better. I’ve made running a fully fledged part of my life. I’m eating better (and more vegan). I’ve made steps to look after my mental health.

 

But I think what’s more important than what I’ve achieved is what I’ve learned over this last year. I’ve learned how to do a lot of things. But I think the main thing I’ve come to realise is that I need to shift my mindset to focus on the process of doing things and learning. I need to enjoy the making and not worry so much about the outcome. The outcome will always appear if you do the work.

 

In response to that, before I’m 26 I want to receive 25 rejection letters. This is a light version of Tiffany Han’s 100 rejection letters project and I want to use it to challenge myself to put my work (and more importantly myself) out there more with no fear.

Natalie