Difference between good and great

Two identical services.
Two equally experienced leaders.

Yet you instantly know who you’d choose, without even checking the product quality.

Two designers. Same service.
But you feel drawn to one of them, without even asking about their degrees.

Think of your own examples.

That decision wasn’t based on the service itself.
It was made long before that.

It comes down to one simple question:

Why do you do what you do?

Not the fancy results.
Not the outcomes or financial rewards.

The real why - the one that keeps you up late at night and gets you up early in the morning. The one that drives you to connect with your audience and offer a different way forward.
This newsletter was inspired by a TED Talk my creative mentor asked me to watch after our first session.

When I tried to explain my vision, she asked something simple:

Why?
Who are your people?
Why do they want to connect with YOU?
What parts of your story resonate with them?

So in this newsletter, I want us to dig into our WHY - with practical examples.

Let’s say you want to learn how to draw.

There are countless courses out there. Great lessons. Great expertise.
But something feels off… and you keep searching.

Tell me I’m not the only one who chooses mentors very carefully - something just needs to click.

For me, that “click” is always personal connection.

If it’s singing, I don’t just want a coach - I want someone who has actually done it, struggled, experimented, failed, and now genuinely wants to make the process easier for others.

If it’s clothing… I’m WEIRD about this. I have specific criteria: I love the founder’s story and the style they’re known for - Flattered shoes, ahhh… Zimmermann dresses, double ahhhhh… Maje, Sandro, Sézane - that French energy! :D

And Porsche (on my vision board!!). I’m not going to buy a car just like that - I’m driven by the dream behind it. And so was Ferry Porsche - driven by HIS dream. Excellence. Visionary ideas.



Now, my own “why”:

Why do I still draw, even though I skipped art school and didn’t enjoy traditional art assignments?

Because drawing is my bridge between imagination and reality.

I’ve faced criticism my entire life being told my drawings weren’t neat or realistic enough (even though that was never my goal).

And during my interior design studies, I kept going even though I HATED computer rendering SO MUCH. It took me weeks just to learn the basics, at school and with paid tutors, and STILL, I would forget everything the next week and start over, never really progressing…

And that’s exactly how drawing saved me.

So if I had to describe my approach:

If you want freedom in how you express your ideas…
If you want to actually enjoy the process…
If you want to see your ideas come to life quickly…

Then I’m your person.

Because freedom is what has driven my drawing. NOT the promises traditional art schools give - “we will teach you how to draw a chair perfectly.”

I don’t care if it’s perfect.
I DO care if I can see my idea clearly.

And that’s why I’ve been able to build a lasting community of like-minded creatives - people who felt the same way but thought they were alone.

So here’s your challenge:

Take some time this weekend and journal your own WHY.

Ask yourself:

• Who are your people?

• Why do they want to connect with you?

• What are they trying to achieve?

• How can your work support them?

And if you haven’t yet, watch the TED Talk I mentioned - it’s a powerful starting point (here’s the LINK)

With big drawing energy,
Anna at @andshedrawsbig 

Two methods designed to help you draw and design with freedom, joy, and true creative flow ↓