10 Things I’ve Learned Over The Past 10 Years

Photos by Tye Moores | @photyegraphy

To do something for a consistent amount of time typically brings you success, blessings, and lessons when you are self-aware and committed to growth. On January 1st, I celebrated 10 years as a blogger, which is a really big deal. Commitment is typically hard for me because I tend to lose interest in things and pick up a new one and repeat the cycle. But for me to stick with something for 10 straight years? Oh yeah, that’s a big deal! And when something is a big deal to me, I have to let the world know. It’s what I’ve been doing for a decade in this digital space and it feels like an out of body experience to watch myself continuously expand and grow. So consider this my take on the #10YearChallenge, read on to discover the ten things I’ve learned, the things I wish I knew, and the future that I am looking forward to.

Do WTF You Want To Do

Creatives often find themselves in limbo between going with what their hearts tell them versus doing what their audience that they’ve worked hard to build wants them to do. Most of us start very young, where our minds have the potential to be molded by some individuals who don’t always have the best intentions. You might often wonder, how do I shut down all the outside noise? How do I get comfortable in trusting my own decisions? Will people even still like my stuff if I go completely left field? What about the likes? The comments? The views? Do people actually care?

I’ve found that the answer to this is quite simple: Do what the fuck you want to do. Catering to your audience and wanting your work to be liked is one thing, but making sure that you are happy is most important. Remember creatives, you have the power to create whatever you want and whoever is meant to receive it, will.

Bet On Yourself

One of the biggest struggles I’ve dealt with in this last decade is the ability to develop an unwavering faith in myself and my capabilities. It is one thing to receive external praise and validation from personal and online communities, it is a completely different thing to believe that shit for yourself. Anybody can appear confident and poised online, but are you truly fearless and relentless on your pursuit of happiness and fulfillment?

To put it simply, you can only hide in the shadows for so long before the jig is up. Betting on yourself consists of moving in spite of fear, taking risks, and pushing yourself to your fullest ability. Bet on yourself, you won’t regret it. Betting on myself has brought me so much peace, clarity, excitement and joy. I get an adrenaline rush from figuring out exactly what I’m capable of and executing that to the best of my ability.

Create Your Own Platforms

Similar to #1 & #2, it’s important to know that you can create your own platforms. Why cry about who won’t put you on or support you or include you in things when you could just… create your own platform, and do the things that you like WITH the people you like, while also making your own rules? I think so many people wait around on the opportunities to find them, when they could just create the opportunities themselves. So if you’re reading this and waiting for others to put you on, just…. write the book. Drop the album. Design the clothes. Anything but wonder why “people don’t support you” when you’re not even supporting yourself.

Don’t Monetize Everything

I know we live in a world now where everything is about having multiple streams of income, going viral, securing brand deals, etc. but here’s a secret: you don’t have to monetize everything. You can do things simply because YOU enjoy them. In fact, it’s very healthy to have hobbies that you enjoy just for the hell of it. Who wants to be working all the time? Who are you outside of your brand and what you do? Do you know what it means to relax? As I grow to become more anti-capitalist, I take pride in doing things and having hobbies that I barely desire to share, let alone make money from. Choosing not to monetize every aspect of my life allows me to rest, recharge, and practice mindlessness when I need to.

Never Stop Learning

You don’t know everything. Whether it’s going to school or taking independent classes and courses, getting a mentor or etc. Knowledge is infinite and should be applied however you can, wherever you can.

Don’t Be Afraid To Pivot

Who said you have to stick to just one job, one title, or do one thing for the rest of your life?? I’ll admit that early in my career, I was afraid to honor how multifaceted I was. Then, a few years in it was like a light bulb went off: I can be so much more than what others expect of me. I can do more than what I expect of myself. Ever since then, I’ve tried everything I’ve wanted to do. You cannot be afraid to pivot, because when you choose to do so, it might just lead you to a greater sense of purpose, happiness, and fulfillment.

Longevity Outlasts Popularity

Many people ask me how I have been able to maintain a blog for so long. I think it’s because I outgrew the desire to be popular and started doing things to produce longevity, by not being afraid to pivot, creating my own platforms, doing whatever I wanted, and betting on myself. Blogging has evolved from just sitting down, writing, posting, and sending your link out for people to read. Even when I didn’t have the words or knowledge, I always knew that I wanted to be here for a long time and not just a good one.

Let People Help You

I think when you first start out, you are typically accustomed to doing everything by yourself. Maybe you don’t have a budget to hire people. Maybe you’re naturally talented and can save some money by doing shit yourself. Maybe you have a hard time trusting others to help you execute whatever your vision is. But trust me, you go a lot further by delegating tasks and letting people help you.

Discernment Is Your Super Power

…. But even in letting people help you, remember that everyone who tries to attach you themselves to you or who claims to want to help you is not meant to. The truth is, for as many genuine people as there are in this world, there are also opportunists. Discernment is your superpower here and sometimes you’ll fall and bump your head when trying to figure out who’s for you and who is not but never forget to pay attention to people’s actions over their words, look for their proven track record of success, and if your energies even align with each other.

Don’t Wait To Celebrate

Perhaps my favorite lesson of the past decade is that it is so important to celebrate your small and big wins! Got out of bed today? Celebrate. Left that toxic person? Celebrate! Went viral on TikTok? Celebrate! You also don’t have to wait on other people to celebrate with you, you can start a party all on your own! I am the only person who 100% knows how far I have come, others have simply witnessed the journey. So I celebrate myself for making it, striving, pivoting, creating, and enjoying every second!

Don’t wait to celebrate! What you are doing now is absolutely enough!

Photos by Tye Moores | @photyegraphy

And there we have it people, 10 things I’ve learned over the past decade. I’m proud of myself for coming so far and I’m proud of my present and future self. Wondering what I’ll do in the next decade? Stay tuned!