Hello, lovely people.
Hope you are well. I am just about OK! Phew! Between getting sick, hurting my thumb (making drawing rather difficult) and completely burning myself out at work because I decided to make overthinking a competitive sport, it’s been a bit of a month!
But overall, and I know no one believes me when I say this (someone actually said I am too positive), I’m grateful. My problems are small, and they’re problems I wholeheartedly chose. Even when things feel uncomfortable or anxiety-inducing, I remind myself that I’m lucky to have good problems.
I have choices and opportunities and I want to help other people have them, too. Not everyone has the same choices I do, and that’s a big part of why Education for all means so much to me.
As I mentioned in my previous blogs, I recently moved, so life looks very different at the moment. I’m meeting new people, learning new things, experiencing a new culture and adjusting to a new way of working, which is a little back-breaking, I won’t lie! But it’s exciting, terrifying and, honestly, life-changing.
In the middle of all this, I decided to take on my own personal art challenge, 20 for 20, celebrating 20 years of Rafiki Thabo. My goal? To create 20 illustrations and, if nothing else, get just one more person to learn about this incredible charity.
When I first decided to take on the challenge, I started thinking about how I could use it to raise money. I really wanted to do my absolute best to help raise money for Rafiki Thabo this year.
So I thought, Maybe I’ll ask people to donate for every drawing.
Then I thought, No one will do that.
Then I thought, Jack and I could ask people to sponsor us to do a challenge? That could be cool.
Maybe I’ll ask my family. No, I’ll ask my friends. Actually, maybe I could draw people in a fun way and sell them…
But wait, who would honestly donate because I am drawing? What a weird way to raise money.
Hmmm…
How do I raise money without asking anyone for anything? Without feeling shy, worrying that I’m annoying people or feeling embarrassed about asking them to support a cause that could make such a difference to the futures of so many communities.
As you can see, I had a mini spiral. Somewhere in the middle of all that overthinking, I realised something pretty significant.
I was scared of being disliked!
I was scared of doing too much, posting too much, saying too much or asking for too much. It was easier to stay behind the scenes, not show my face and do what I could without ever quite pushing myself to do more, play it safe.
And that got me thinking about Rafiki Thabo and the children who need people to stand up for them. The whole reason I wanted to volunteer for Rafiki Thabo in the first place is that I genuinely care about what they do. I believe in their work, I believe in education, and I believe that giving someone an opportunity can completely change the direction of their life, as it has for me and my peers. So why was I struggling so much to ask people to donate to a charity I believed in? Somehow, I’d become more worried about whether people would think I was annoying than excited about sharing something that mattered to me.
What if no one donates? What if the whole thing is just a bit embarrassing?
Then I realised… when did this become about me, rather than the children and communities we’re doing this for? I’m being honest here because it really made me realise when you care about something, it’s hard not to worry that people are getting tired of hearing about it, the feeling is human.
I realised, you can really want to make a difference but end up doing less than you are capable of, because you’re too busy worrying about how you’ll be perceived.
The truth is, just as someone, somewhere, once introduced me to something that mattered and I couldn’t ignore it, someone might notice something I have reposted or shared, talked about and feel the same. I don’t need them to tell me, share it or praise me, all that matters is that more people are inspired to help children access education.
They might not choose to support Rafiki Thabo, but perhaps they’ll be inspired to do something else to make a difference. And that’s all we need: more people willing to be inspired, take action and make a positive difference in a world that is full, and I mean FULL, of negativity.
Look at what Rafiki Thabo has achieved over 20 years. The children whose lives have been changed, the opportunities created and the community built around a shared belief that every child deserves an education.
That didn’t happen overnight. It took perseverance, courage and determination. It took people who kept showing up, sharing their stories and asking others to care, even when it felt uncomfortable. People who did it despite the possibility of being ignored, judged or misunderstood. Because if we all stopped trying to make the world a better place because we were worried about being annoying, being disliked or fake, what would we ever achieve?
So, this is your reminder, and mine, not to let the anxiety of what other people might think stop us from speaking up or doing what we can for those who need it.
All you have to do is be brave enough to try, because you never know who might be watching, listening or feeling inspired to do the same. People need and appreciate more positive voices.
I know I can do more, I believe I can, but this is an obstacle I must also conquer. There are so many people doing things, it’s easy to feel like just another voice in the masses, but like I said, if just one person is inspired during this challenge to fight for a better world, then my goal is achieved. I will never know and that’s why I can’t stop, just the possibility is enough!
Love Mary-Ann x
PS..If you’d like to see all of my 20 20 illustrations, you can find them on my Instagram page, @ourdyersituation
