the way of words. better than mediocre.

last week i read a post by hue and hum, a new fave of mine. it was titled "be better than mediocre." titles like this are a sure win to draw me in; can't resist self improvement and betterment.

i am constantly churning ideas in my mind, ideas of can do, want to do, should do, can't do...yet, should try, etc. etc. but it's always a little overwhelming and i often get frustrated in the process of trying to find my niche. lately it's been about re-discovering the roots of what i love, why i love it, and how to make it fit in with my/our goals. are there things that you feel you are good at or enjoy but they don't quite match your business model or they don't have much depth or they just simply aren't up to par? i feel this way all the time. many times in my life i've kind of categorized myself as a half time achiever. i've always had big dreams but don't always have the dedication to making them happen, for example, piano playing, guitar playing, photography, graphic design... sometimes it is difficult to make the leap from wanting to be something to being that something and putting in the necessary time and effort. i too often think that magic will happen and i will automatically be amazing. however, hue [who is testing out her hum, which is the inspiration for her mediocre post!] made an inspirational statement when she said, "Maybe I have too lofty of goals, but I'd rather fall a little short of great than stay in the back of the auditorium and dwell in my mediocre-ness."

so, is it okay to sometimes be a half time achiever if you at least have the desire and want to find your place? sure. is it okay to try something totally out of the ordinary, for you, and maybe like it? sure. i'm learning and re-learning this and still trying to master the art of making it mine and understanding that things might just match up and piece together better than you think, when you only try. what could be better than something that brings you happiness, even for the moment? what could be better than trying to be better than the usual, the routine, the normal to your everyday? plus, i like to think that those quirky, odd, individual things i do just might make someone else happy too. that's what discovering and being better than mediocre is all about right?

[i like to write. i like to share thoughts and inspiration and put them to paper. i don't always put periods or commas in the right place but i hope you'll join me in this new weekly venture, where we'll focus on inspirational designers, artists, and life makers.]