Have you ever seen yourself on television or in a photo and thought, “That’s me? It doesn’t look like me.” It’s a thought that pops into my head whenever I catch an episode of myself on PBS, or see a YouTube video of me featured online. It’s a very odd feeling to watch yourself teach. I personally am hyper-critical about the words that I use, my Midwestern accent and even my posture.
It’s pretty nerve-wracking to put yourself out there like that. When I film a class or television episode, I’m never nervous about my content. I write outlines, I practice what I’m going to say, and I feel confident when filming. But when it comes to having it posted on the internet for anyone to comment on, I get nervous. I’ve read the comment section on popular sites before, where someone has the choice to remain anonymous, and it’s almost never pretty.
Back in August, I had the opportunity to film two segments about serger stitches with It’s Sew Easy. It was fun, the filming went smoothly, and I was pleased with how it all turned out. My first segment aired a little bit ago, and you can see it on YouTube by clicking here. Each segment focuses on various serger stitches, what they should look like, and where or how you should use them.
I am so incredibly grateful to see the positive comments that have been posted. I don’t believe I have any reason to be given negative ones, but I always find that my chest tightens a bit when I scroll down a page where I’m featured. The story in my head is that someone will find fault in me, as a person, and pick out either a physical feature to make a negative comment on, or decide that they don’t like the information I’ve given and do everything they can to find fault in it. It’s a story that’s never been true for me, but I still have a fear of it, perhaps because I’ve spoken with other sewing bloggers about the very harsh negative emails and comments they have received in the past.
So I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for always being supportive and kind and encouraging. For giving me the confidence to get up and teach and share my knowledge. Your kindness has never gone unnoticed by me, and I hope that I can continue to share and teach for many many years to come.
If you would like to see my second segment for It’s Sew Easy, it will air on their website starting on February 7th. I hope you check it out!
