Start before you know who you are

My favorite rule from Austin Kleon’s book Steal Like an Artist is rule #2: “Don’t wait until you know who you are to get started.”

It’s sage wisdom that’s worth adopting sooner rather than later.

Because it’s only when you start trying stuff, that you actually begin to learn about yourself.

When you try something and hate it, you've learned something.

When you try something and like it — and you wanna try some more — you’ve learned something.

It wasn’t until I started writing the Daily Spark, that I discovered that I like the practice of writing daily as a way of helping crystallize important life principles that will help me live my best, most creative, most fearless, and most meaningful life.

It wasn’t until I picked up a camera and took photographs, that I discovered how fun and cool it is to take and share photos.

Critically, I couldn’t have made any of these discoveries about myself by thinking about them or watching someone else do them.

If there’s something you wanna do that seems even remotely cool, do it.

If it terrifies you, that’s actually even better — you should definitely do it.

You’ll learn so much about yourself and, in time, you’ll have the chance to make some really cool things that give you meaning — that you’re proud of.