I used to only write fic. I figured, I can’t draw, I don’t know how to edit video, I’m basically half tone-deaf, and editing audio seems like a pain in the ass. Why even try something else?

But a few years ago I remembered a book I’d read as a kid which indirectly argued that all forms of creative expression are the same thing. Whether you’re drawing, or editing audio, or acting, or dancing, or writing, or cutting together video, it’s all the same basic process in your brain.

No matter what, you’re pulling pieces together to form new creative input. And if that’s true, then why couldn’t I draw fanart, or make vids, or act?

Part of the problem here is the kind of negative reinforcement we get outside of fandom (and sometimes, unfortunately, inside). How many people have been told they can’t draw? My grade nine drama teacher told me I was completely useless at acting and dancing. I actually had, at that point, 13 years of dance lessons (tap, ballet, jazz) under my belt and because of my Information Processing Disorder, I learned all of my facial expressions and when to use them from immitating actors on tv or stage. I could argue that every day of my life is an excercise in acting. Maybe I’m secretly the best at it.

There’s no reason to listen to anyone who tells you that you’re no good at something and you should just give up. Looking back at the first pieces of fanfiction I wrote, they were all uh, how do I say this nicely… abjectly awful.

But I learned! I learned a lot just by reading what other people were reading, by getting feedback from the people on the SMRFF mailing list, from the comments I got and, of course, by continuing to write.

If you want to write, write! Keep writing! Write all the time! How else are you going to get better? If I had stopped at age ten because I wasn’t very good I’d have missed out on all sorts of things.

The same is, of course, true for other fannish media. The only real reason I wasn’t good at vidding was because I had never tried it before. A few years ago I sat down and decided you know what? I’m going to learn vidding today. And I did.

I’m not a great vidder, but I’m not bad, I think. I’m still learning. And if I can vid, why shouldn’t I be able to do other things with practice?

So I started editing music a little, shortening songs and re-piecing them together for the vids I was making. I’ve done this the least, so it’s the thing I am least good at so far, the most afraid of, but again, I’m learning.