When we hear the words “just do it,” it’s easy to picture the hilarious image of Shia Labeouf flexing in front of a green screen. The words remind me of the time I composed a soundtrack for a student film.

For a long time, I had no creative outlet. I remember trying to make friends in middle school by talking about the academic team because all I knew was studying and reading textbooks.

I went into high school unsure if there was anything I was good at. At 5-foot-4-inches tall and 130 pounds, I wasn’t exactly linebacker material. I could draw a mean stick figure, but I wasn’t about to make the next big comic strip.

But there was one thing I’d always had a passion for — music.

Fascinated by the sweeping orchestras of Hollywood films, I’d always wanted to make my own music. The only problem was, I couldn’t play an instrument to save my life and couldn’t afford lessons.

In high school, I started working with audio production software to work around my limitations and made my first songs. In the years that followed, I became more confident with what I was making, and began sharing my music online.

I’ve continued to improve as a composer, and I’ve received some great opportunities. I’ve made music for small video game projects, my work has been used by YouTubers, and most recently, in a student film.

For someone who struggles to play an instrument, I cannot overstate how happy I am to have made something of this hobby. I hope to make a small business out of it in the future, in addition to the work I’ll be doing once I’ve graduated.

“I don’t even know how to begin, so why bother?” That was a question that plagued me for a long time.

It wasn’t until I took the first step that I learned the most important thing was to just start moving.

No matter what it is we want to do, as long as we’re willing to just try, we can open ourselves up for some amazing possibilities.

I guess Mr. Labeouf isn’t all jokes after all.