Michael Okunloro | Elevate Your Style

One fear I’ve definitely had to face is the fear of not being “perfect enough”—especially when it comes to my creativity and how I show up. I used to think everything had to be planned to the tiniest detail, polished, and flawless before I could put it out or even wear it confidently.

But funny enough, that fear got challenged the day before the last Elevate Your Style event.

I had a completely different outfit planned, but the jacket I was meant to wear didn’t work out last minute. I panicked for a second—like, how am I going to show up and not look like I made no effort, especially when I’d told people to show up dressed up? Checked my wardrobe and found this random blue linen jacket I’d never worn. Basic. Too basic. And that old fear crept in again: This isn’t enough. You’re not ready.

But instead of backing out or stressing more, I tried something new—I decided to make it extra. I hit up my sister-in-law who paints and told her, “Let’s mess this jacket up. Let’s splash it, spray it, just have fun.” I let go of the need for it to be “perfect,” and just followed the vibe.

On the event day, people stopped me left and right asking about the jacket. Then three days later, I got a call: “I need five of that rugged jacket you wore on Saturday.” 😂

That whole experience taught me that perfection is overrated. Sometimes, your most “random” ideas—when you’re just having fun—are the ones that hit the hardest. I’ve started trusting my creativity more. I’ve learned to stop overthinking and just go with the flow sometimes.

So yeah, I’ve overcome the fear of not being perfect. How? By embracing the messy, spontaneous, “this might be rubbish but let’s try it anyway” moments. Because sometimes, that’s where the magic really lives.

What fears have you overcome and how?