NihshabdBlog

Tag: digital illustration

  • Done Is Better Than Perfect | Overcome Perfectionism

    Done Is Better Than Perfect | Overcome Perfectionism

    What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

    Done Is Better Than Perfect: The Advice That Helped Me Overcome Perfectionism

    Done is better than perfect is the best piece of advice I have ever received. It completely changed my creative journey and taught me that overcoming perfectionism isn’t about becoming flawless—it’s about having the courage to begin.

    I didn’t learn this lesson from a book or a motivational quote.

    I learned it from my mentor… and one imperfect illustration that I almost never shared.

    Why I Was Afraid to Share My First Digital Illustration✨

    If there is one piece of advice that quietly changed my life, it was this:

    “Done is better than perfect.”

    When I joined my digital fashion illustration course, I had one tiny problem.

    Actually… several tiny problems.

    I knew hand illustration.

    I knew nothing about Photoshop.

    And laptops?

    Let’s just say, if technology were a language, I’d still be stuck at A for Apple. 😄

    Then came our first digital illustration assignment.

    After wrestling with layers, tracing, brushes, and enough confusion to question all my life choices, I somehow managed to create my very first digital portrait.

    It wasn’t great.

    It wasn’t even “almost great.”

    Let’s just say… my portrait and the original model looked like they belonged to two completely different families. 😂

    I proudly sent it to my mentor.

    She looked at it and said,

    “Wonderful. Now post it on social media.”

    Excuse me… WHAT?

    I immediately replied,

    “Ma’am, I can’t! People will laugh. They’ll wonder what exactly I’ve illustrated.”

    The Advice That Changed My Perspective✨

    That’s when she said something I’ll never forget.

    “If you keep waiting for perfection, you’ll miss the entire journey that leads to it.”

    She continued,

    “Nothing starts perfect. Even ten years from now, you’ll look at your work and find something you’d improve. Perfection isn’t a destination you suddenly reach one day. It’s simply the result of showing up, making mistakes, learning from them, and doing it again.”

    And then came the line that stayed with me.

    “You can only improve what you’re willing to show.”


    This wasn’t perfect. But posting it was the most perfect decision I made.

    How I Started Overcoming Perfectionism✨

    That day, I understood something.

    Perfection doesn’t build confidence.

    Action does.

    The funny part?

    If I had waited until I felt “good enough,” I’d probably still be staring at that same unfinished illustration… while Photoshop continued staring back at me. 😄

    Today, when I look at that first design, I smile.

    Not because it’s perfect.

    But because it exists.

    It reminds me that every piece of work I create today began with one imperfect attempt that I almost never shared.

    Why Done Is Better Than Perfect✨

    Perfection is a moving target.

    No matter how experienced we become, there will always be something we’d like to improve.

    The real magic isn’t in creating something perfect.

    It’s in creating something at all.

    Every finished piece teaches us something.

    Every imperfect attempt makes us better.

    Every mistake becomes a lesson we couldn’t have learned by waiting.

    Perfection never arrived. Progress did.

    My Biggest Lesson as a Creative✨

    So here’s my little reminder for anyone waiting for the “perfect time.”

    Post it.

    Write it.

    Paint it.

    Start it.

    Because unfinished dreams hidden in drafts never become success stories.

    Sometimes, done really is better than perfect.

    And for that lesson, I’ll always be grateful to my mentor, who saw possibility in me long before I could see it in myself.

    This illustration didn’t build my confidence.

    Sharing it did.

    Looking at it today, I don’t remember the fear.

    I remember the moment I chose progress over perfection.

    Now I’m curious… what’s one thing you’ve been waiting to share because you’re afraid it isn’t perfect yet? I’d love to hear your story. 🤍🦋

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    Until the next whisper…
    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari

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    If this whisper stayed with you, you may also enjoy reading A Blank Canvas and a Blank Page

    Creative Chaos & Quiet Feelings ✨😄

    If I Could Be Someone Else… I’d Still Pick Me 2.0

    About Nihshabd

    My Screen Time Finally Grew Up 

  • The Best Purchase I Ever Made 

    The Best Purchase I Ever Made 

    What is the best purchase you have ever made?

    If someone asked me ten years ago, “What’s the best purchase you’ve ever made?” I probably would have said something sensible. Maybe jewellery. Maybe a good mixer grinder. (Let’s be honest, we all go through that phase.)

    Today, my answer is surprisingly simple.

    My iPad Pro.

    Now, before you roll your eyes and think, “Oh great, another person obsessed with gadgets,” hear me out.

    I didn’t buy it because I wanted to look cool. I bought it because I wanted to draw. Little did I know that this sleek piece of technology would quietly become my therapist, my sketchbook, my entertainment system, and occasionally, the reason for family arguments.

    A few years ago, I was going through a difficult phase. I was quite unwell, and there were days when I didn’t feel like doing much of anything. When you’re sick for a long time, even your favourite hobbies begin to feel distant. That’s when my iPad stepped in.

    Whenever I had a little energy, I picked up my Apple Pencil and started illustrating.

    Something magical happened.

    For those few hours, I wasn’t thinking about medicines, doctor’s appointments, or how miserable I felt. I was choosing colours, drawing outfits, creating faces, and getting completely lost in my own little world. It didn’t cure me, of course, but it certainly made the difficult days much easier to live through.

    Even today, if someone in my family can’t find me, they don’t bother searching the entire house.

    They simply look for the glowing rectangle.

    There I am.

    Drawing.

    Experimenting with new brushes.

    Or confidently telling myself, “Just five more minutes.”

    We all know how that story ends.

    Three hours later, I’m still sitting in exactly the same place.

    My iPad has another important responsibility too.

    It hosts our family Ludo matches.

    Now, if you’ve never fought with your loved ones over someone sending your token back to the starting point, have you really experienced family bonding? We laugh, we argue, we accuse each other of cheating, and then we immediately start another game.

    It’s become a family tradition.

    Looking back, I realise I didn’t just buy a device.

    I bought countless hours of creativity, laughter, distraction, and comfort.

    Some purchases lose their excitement after a few weeks.

    This one somehow became more valuable with time.

    If I had to choose just one thing, my iPad Pro would always be the best purchase I ever made.

    Without a doubt, my iPad Pro has been the best purchase I’ve ever made.

    And yes… every other thing I’ve ever bought is probably feeling a little jealous.

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    Until the next whisper,

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari

  • A Blank Canvas and a Blank Page

    A Blank Canvas and a Blank Page

    What are you passionate about?

    Have you ever had one of those days when your mind feels so full that you don’t know what to do with all the thoughts bouncing around inside it?

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    I have.

    When Thoughts Become Art

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    A Blank Canvas and a Blank Page have always been my answer to those moments. When my thoughts become too loud, I either write them down or bring them to life through digital illustration.

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    Sometimes my thoughts become stories.

    Sometimes they become illustrations.

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    And that’s why, if someone asks me what I’m passionate about, my answer is simple: creating.

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    Not because I’m exceptionally talented.

    Not because I’m trying to become famous.

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    But because creating helps me make sense of the noise in my head.

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    A Blank Canvas and a Blank Page

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    For me, a blank page and a blank canvas are surprisingly similar.

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    Most people see emptiness.

    I see possibilities.

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    Of course, there are days when both of them seem determined to test my patience.

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    I stare at the screen.

    The screen stares back.

    Neither of us knows who’s supposed to make the first move.

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    Writers call it writer’s block.

    Artists call it creative block.

    I call it a staring contest that I usually lose.

    But every now and then, something magical happens.

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    A sentence appears.

    A sketch takes shape.

    An idea that existed only in my imagination suddenly becomes real.

    And that feeling never gets old.

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    What I love most about writing and digital illustration isn’t the finished result.

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    It’s the process.

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    The quiet excitement of starting with absolutely nothing and ending up with something that didn’t exist before.

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    A story.

    A character.

    A thought.

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    A little piece of yourself left behind on a page or a canvas.

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    In a world where we’re constantly consuming things, creating something feels special.

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    In fact, I wrote something similar in my post Creative Chaos & Quiet Feelings ✨😄, where I reflected on how creativity often grows in life’s quiet moments.

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    It reminds us that our imagination still matters.

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    So yes, I’m passionate about writing.

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    I’m passionate about digital illustration.

    But more than that, I’m passionate about creating.

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    Because every blank page and every blank canvas holds the same question:

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    What will you bring to life today?

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    And perhaps that’s why I keep returning to both.

    Not because I’m searching for perfection.

    But because I’m always curious about what might happen when imagination is given a place to breathe.

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    What about you? What are you passionate about?

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    Until our thoughts meet again,

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved