What's that called?

Recently I've been having self-doubt about some of my skills because I don't always know what things and processes are called. When I catch myself worrying about it and questioning myself, I remember my early days of web development. I did not go to school for programming, I had an interest and started to play around with html and stylesheets. But I didn't always know what a process or piece of code was called. When I went on interviews, I would be asked technical questions I couldn't answer, but if you gave me a task or problem to fix, I could do it. Not being able to give textbook answers made me feel inadequate. Over time, I got good at coding and understood how front-end web development worked and became the person others asked to solve problems and ultimately ran a small team of web developers for a major publishing company.

Some people learn their skills through course education, mentorship, or on their own. All are valid, and it's important not to let what you don't know get in your way. Most of what I have done and do has been self-taught (in the beginning). No one is an expert off the bat, so it's important to give space to develop the skills and keep learning. When you think about it, the name for a process didn't exist until it was discovered. With education, you learn the theory before the experience....with learning as you go, you experience a process and then find out what's it called, giving you the chance to dig deeper if you wish.

Building a community is a great way to have the best of both worlds. I've found when I'm about to start a new project, I'll reach out to someone I know with more experience to see if I'm on the right track. It's a great way to get affirmation or course correction before mistakes are made. It can make you feel small at times, but asking for help is a great skill to practice . And before you know it, others are reaching out to you for help and understanding.