The Ripple Effect
Living life without forgetting everyone else's
It’s that time of year as people graduate, move on in their lives, change direction, undertake new studies or ways of learning. For those who are creative then thinking of new projects is always exciting. You get ideas that other people don’t. You want to express yourself, stand out, make noise, create something different - all good things.
While learning about being creative, and learning your practice - there are some excellent soft skills to also carry along with you.
One of the biggest signs of maturity in your practice, isn’t just having ideas - it’s being able to pause for a moment and ask, ‘What happens next?’
Every action has consequences. Some are good and some aren’t. Most of the time, they’re easy to predict if we stop and think.
Imagine you’re on a bus and decide to play music out loud from your phone. You might think, ‘I like this song’ - what if everyone else decided to do the same? Suddenly the bus would be filled with ten different songs, nobody could relax, and the journey would become stressful. That’s why people use headphones. It’s not because music is bad - it’s because everyone is sharing the same space.
This way of thinking can be used almost everywhere.
If I leave rubbish on the floor, someone else has to clean it up.
If I spread a rumour, what happens if it isn’t true?
If I interrupt someone, how would I feel if they interrupted me?
If I post something online today, how might I feel about it next year?
If I say something just to get a laugh, could it hurt someone more than I realise?
Life becomes much easier when you start asking simple questions before acting. You don’t need to overthink everything, but just pause for a few seconds and picture what might happen next.
This doesn’t mean never taking risks. Some of the best inventions, businesses, songs, and artworks happened because someone was brave enough to try something different. The difference is that responsible people think about who might be affected along the way.
A useful habit is to imagine yourself in someone else’s position. How would your family see this? Your friend? A stranger? Your future self? Looking at a situation from different angles often changes the decision you make.
This kind of thinking builds trust. People know they can rely on someone who considers others. They know that person isn’t just thinking about what they want right now but about the bigger picture.
Real confidence isn’t doing whatever you feel like in the moment. Real confidence is having enough self-control to choose actions that make life better, not only for yourself but for the people around you.
Growing up isn’t about following endless rules. It’s about understanding why some rules exist in the first place. They are often unspoken, cultural rules. Many of them are simply ways of helping people rub along together.
So before you act, ask yourself one simple question:
If everyone did what I’m about to do, would the world work better - or worse?
That one question won’t solve every problem, but it will help you make wiser choices, avoid unnecessary conflict, and become someone others enjoy being around. And that’s a skill that will help you for the rest of your life - not just being creative.
As ever - thanks for reading. Summer is pretty much here and I hope everyone is going to get some time to relax. See you back here next week with some fun summer project ideas ☀️
“Beyond her exceptional teaching skills, HatchEd is delivered with warmth and empathy, combined with strong organisational abilities, creating a supportive and effective learning environment. The blend of professionalism and approachability sets her apart as both a teacher and an inspiration.”