Fun fact: my brother and I dabble in graphic design and video editing. However, we don’t know how to use Adobe Photoshop. We never learnt. When we tell folks that we do most of our work in Microsoft PowerPoint, they are shocked. Yes, Microsoft PowerPoint. This is not a drill. I am not kidding. Here are some works that we did in the past:

I recall this instance when we told a friend about our methods. The look on his face was priceless. It was as if he was attempting to figure out rocket science. Those who were present at the “confession” laughed at him. We videoed the whole thing. Needless to say, we turned him into a meme. I’d like to believe this is necessary for the culture.

It’s not that we did not want to learn how to use Photoshop. It’s that we didn’t have those tools growing up. We didn’t have the funds (and dare I say, disk space!) to purchase the software at the time. We knew what we wanted to do and used what we had in our “hand” at the time. Though our methods were unconventional, we got the job done. Over the years, I have watched how we have improved our skills. We have developed this eye for visual art which has helped us to branch out and double down on other skills. I’m grateful we did that. To this day, we haven’t used Photoshop, but I know we could handle it if we wanted to.

You know, a lot of folks today wait on the perfect conditions to venture out into something new. Here is the thing: There is no such thing as a perfect condition. There are too many variables at play for everything to go the way we desire. Variables over which we have no control. It sucks, but life happens. At times, we have to move with what we have. A photographer may dream of having a studio but does not have the budget to get there initially. A living room, in this case, can be set up with a studio-like effect. A student might not have the required text for a course but can find free/open-source alternatives online. An aspiring farmer may not have the land space desired to plant vegetables on a large scale. However, she can plant in pots and pans until she can lease a piece of land. We could go on and on.

I have discovered that what matters is we take the first step with what we have and then follow through with consistency. It pays to do that. Moving forward towards a desired goal slowly is far better than staying put in anticipation of perfection. With that, we can cultivate a “rhythm” by forming wholesome habits and improving ourselves. 

What about you? What is in your hand? What do you have that can work for you? Think about it, flesh out your plans, and act on them with consistency. Lean into the lack. Don’t delay. See these as opportunities to learn and grow. Believe me, you will be grateful you did.

^{Photo by Anna Might (IG:@annamighttakepics)}