Why I am Glad I was BAD at Something

Ya'll.

My first attempts at visual media were bad. Horrific and ghastly bad. Cringe inducing, really. It began when I got this brilliant idea in my head that I could design the book cover for my short story collection. I had started with taking jewelry photos for my old business, and editing the posts/images for social media. Certainly, I could design my own book covers? Right?

Right?

One cover I attempted, was a starry background with a silhouette of two people kissing, and it looks like bad photoshop from 2013 Tumblr. My second cover up for the running, was a black background with a long stemmed rose in the center, with bold, stylized font. THIS cover was so close to becoming the published cover. But a friend of mine told me lovingly, "Babes, it looks like a dollar store Twilight knock off" and I am so, so eternally grateful for the honesty and quip.

I ended up going back to the drawing board, and three hours later (after using a stock photo I happened to fall across and adore) I came up with the deep blue cover that is on Smashwords to this day. I took a HARD left from the original creative vision, and I am so glad I did.

I know using AI is so tempting. I know asking for feedback on a draft or first image can be nerve-racking. So many of us just want to reach for the thing that will make us seem skilled right away. But there is something magical about creating something with your own skill, and seeing your vision brought to life on your own terms. Plus, being bad at visual art gave me a chance to connect with friends who did have a really good eye for graphic design. I got to learn something new from them, and got the joy of seeing them talk about a topic they were passionate about. This is how artists build community. This is how we grow and learn together.

I know my finalized cover isn't perfect. But it's mine. And I like it.

My friend, don't be afraid to be bad at something. Don't reach for AI just because it's there. Don't rob yourself of the experience to find a new talent, and hone your own skill. Fail hard. Be bad at it. Fail fast.

You might be surprised to find a community that picks you up, dusts you off, and supports you in getting better along the way.

Image description:

The first image is of two test background covers, which were described in the text above. The text on the image itself says, "I wanted to show these for fun...Two test covers for "The Things We Dream at Night"

The Second Image is the finalized book cover of "The Things We Dream at Night" by Callix/Calixta King. It has a blue and black gradient-ish background, with the title in swirly white font. A picture of a young woman wearing round, silver rimmed glasses and black, short cut hair, is in the center of the book, holding sparkling lights.

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