Hi everyone, as I continue working on my 3rd and 4th week as an Outreachy intern, I wanted to update you guys about my journey so far, with this second blog as part of this series. This week I want to share some instances from my own journey into Open-source, to help you understand that Everybody Struggles.
Although I am very passionate about the design world, that doesn't change the fact that I'm very novice in this field. I had no knowledge of either photoshop or illustrator, nor did I even know what open-source tools were or how to get started in a community. One of my core values - Curiosity helped me get intrigued and strive through this phase but the journey still felt very lonely and this gave rise to numerous uncertainties and doubts within myself. I often pondered whether my efforts will go in vain, will I get better at what I love to do, and finally how I could improve myself to face the competition in this field.
During Contribution period
If there is one major thing that I learned from my contribution period, it's that everyone has a struggle story to tell. I was very lucky to be a part of a helpful, kind, and encouraging community. I made numerous friends who all helped each other and they ultimately shaped me to get where I am today.
I still remember not knowing anything about Gitlab and asking questions like - 'What’s a Ticket? ' I used to refer to it as comments in Gitlab 😅
Slowly and steadily I learned Gitlab, Inkscape, and even Element (3 of the major tools I use on a daily basis for work) .
There were times I felt exhausted, lost, and doubtful of my own capabilities. On top of that, I was dealing with my own mental health problems and suffering from an inferiority complex. I repeated the cycles of making mistakes, failing, and trying, again and again, numerous times.
One thing that helped during those times was the amazing community of contributors, mentors, and my real-life partner. They gave me the inspiration to strive to be better during my uncertain times which allowed me to try harder with each passing day.
During internship
After I was selected for Outreachy I still had many self-doubts. I was still struggling to navigate through the software and I tried to solve all problems on my own.
I remember discussing this with my mentor when she assured me that it was something we all went through. She recalled a time when she used to ask her own mentor for the silliest of things, but she assured me that nothing in this world is silly. It's all a part of learning and we all go through it. This made me realize that it's ok to ask questions and it's ok to be uncertain because it's a sign we are growing.
Now I know better that change and growth are the only constants in life, and oftentimes they are uncomfortable but striving through the discomforting, exhausting, and difficult nights is the way we can find the true fruits of our labor. You are never too late to start learning, and you shouldn’t back away from what you love to do simply because it seems too hard in the beginning. Ask questions, ask for assistance, give your absolute best each day, and above all be consistent, that is how I overcame many of my uncertainties and I hope you can too.
Stay tuned for next week's blog, and wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR 😀.