Take Up Space
...because there’s room for you too.
I can’t stress this enough: TAKE UP SPACE!
Not in a loud, overbearing way. Not in a “look at me” performance. But in an honest, bold, intentional way, because you were made to. I don’t believe we’d all be here if there wasn’t room for us to perform our unique roles in this world. It’s like a symphony. Different instruments, different parts, all coming together to make something work, something whole. You showing up fully as yourself makes the orchestra complete.
But if I’m being real… I’ve always been scared of taking up space.
There’s always been this knowing in me, this quiet certainty that I was made to do something. Something that touched people. Something creative. Something that lit up the corners of dark rooms. But I’d shrink it, dim it, hold back because I didn’t want to seem like I was “too full of myself.”
You know how we’d say it back home in St. Kitts, “she too full ah she self.”
That sentence alone has stifled generations from stepping into their light. We water ourselves down just to be digestible. We overthink the “what ifs,” scared of how we’ll be perceived if we actually walked in the light God placed inside us. And that fear? It births imposter syndrome, real, heavy, and relentless.
It sounds like:
“Who do I think I am to do this?”
“What if they think I’m doing too much?”
“What if I fail… publicly?”
“What if no one sees me" or worse, "What if they do?”
Developing my photography journey has been one of the biggest challenges to that fear. It’s not just about snapping photos anymore. It’s become a journey of self-discovery, of voice finding, of taking up space in places I once thought were too big for me.
Whether it was reaching out to someone I admired to collaborate on a shoot, or nervously posting work online and hoping someone would see the story I was telling, I’ve had to teach myself, I belong here too.
And I want to help you believe the same. So here are three ways I’ve learned to intentionally take up space, with stories to back them:
1. Start with the "small" brave steps. They’re not as small as you think.
I remember reaching out to persons, hoping to collaborate. My palms were sweaty, heart racing, but I sent the message anyway. To my surprise, they responded with a yes. That taught me that courage doesn’t have to be loud to be real. You don’t need to be ready, you just need to be willing.
Intentional Tip: Write the DM. Send the pitch. Post the work. Small bravery is still bravery.
2. Own your story. It’s not for everyone, but it is for someone.
Writing blogs like this used to terrify me. Who was I to speak? But every time someone messaged me saying they felt seen or heard and that was enough. Enough to remind me that taking up space with my words matters, because someone out there is looking for a voice that sounds like theirs.
Intentional Tip: Share your story, even when your voice shakes. It’s not about going viral, it’s about going honest.
3. Create with conviction, not just for confirmation.
When I create from a place of authenticity, not just for likes or reposts, it hits different. I’ve learned to trust that the vision God gives me has a purpose, even if others don’t “get it” right away. Not everything needs to be understood for it to be impactful.
Intentional Tip: Trust your creative instincts. Not everything has to be seen to be significant.
So yes, take up space. Fully. Freely. Faithfully.
There’s room for you. And not just room, a need. The world needs your vision, your voice, your creativity. Let this be the season where you don’t just show up halfway. Show up whole.
Because playing small doesn’t serve the purpose placed in you.
And you, my friend, were never meant to be invisible.
