Letting go of labels & being multi-passionate

I recently read this taoist quote that really resonated with me:

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” — Lao Tzu

For years, I’ve had this urge to create and post videos on YouTube. But I’ve also held myself back — not because I didn’t want to create, but because I was afraid of the labels that come with putting yourself out there. I didn’t want to be seen as a “YouTuber” or a “content creator.” And the artist in me felt like talking-head videos weren’t artistic enough. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I just wanted to express myself — honestly, openly, through video. I even started once, posted a few videos, but then stopped.

Why?

Because the moment I started, I immediately began worrying again: What will people think this means about me? What box am I putting myself in?

That quote reminded me that this constant fixation on how others will perceive me — or what title I’m accidentally stepping into — is exactly what’s keeping me stuck. And it’s not just with YouTube. I’ve done the same thing in my professional life. I’ve spent so much time thinking about what I am, rather than just doing the work and seeing how it feels.

Am I an entrepreneur? Or an artist? A creative director? A filmmaker? A painter?

These questions constantly loop in my head. And I realize now, they’re fueled by the same fear: The fear of not fitting neatly into a single, socially-approved identity. When we spend too much time online — constantly seeing curated versions of everyone else’s paths — it’s easy to get caught up in the image of doing something, rather than the thing itself. I once thought I wanted to be a creative director simply because I saw people online doing it and thought it looked cool. But I don’t actually know what that job feels like. I only have an idea of it based on someone else’s portrayal.

This need to define ourselves — to fit into a clear, marketable label — is exhausting. Social media teaches us to niche down. Pick a lane. Build a brand. But most of us are multi-faceted. Complex. Contradictory. And trying to fit into a box might be the very thing holding us back from becoming who we really are.

So lately, I’ve been letting go. Letting go of the labels. Letting go of the idea that I need to define myself before I create. I’m making videos. Painting. Writing. Following whatever creative spark lights up that day. And for the first time in a while, I feel the flow of self-expression returning. I’m learning that I don’t need to choose between being this or that. I’m not one thing. I’m not a brand. I’m a human being. I’m multi-passionate. Multi-dimensional.

And I no longer want to shrink myself just to make sense to someone else.

So like the quote says:

When I let go of who I’m trying to be, I become who I actually am.

— Camilla