7 ways you are sabotaging your own creativity
You, my friend, are a volcano that is waiting to BLOW!
All that creative energy bubbling under the surface…
But… you feel like you could be making more. Or, even worse, you’re not making anything at all!
HARD TRUTH ALERT...
If you’re feeling blocked up, chances are, you’re doing it to yourself *gasp*.
BUT NEVER FEAR...
It can be difficult to identify the problem, so don’t worry: we’ve done it for you!
Read on to find out how you’re sabotaging yourself, and what to do about it.
1. Sleep. Eat. Drink water. Repeat.
Artists like us seem to have this weird idea that we are transcendent beings who don’t need the basic human necessities that keep our body running.
Art may be spiritual, but you’re still very, very physical.
Luckily, the body is a machine, and in many cases, it’s easy to oil ‘er back up. Figuratively speaking.
The First To-Do List
Check the following off your list before you move on to any other creativity killers on this list.
Find a sleep schedule that makes you feel rested when you wake up. (NEWS FLASH: doesn’t have to mean you’re in the 5 AM club. If 10 AM feels good, awesome.)
Are you getting enough calories?
Take a multivitamin every day.
Drink more water. No matter how much you’re drinking now. MORE. MOOOOOORE.
Your creative output does not function independently of your body. If you feel better, you’ll feel better about what you’re making.
2. Lone Wolves Die in Real Life.
The picturesque image of the isolated, lonely creator locked in their tower crafting the greatest works anyone has ever known?
BULLSHIT.
I See You and Your Lies, Ernest.
The lone wolf concept is totally made up by *cough cough white guys cough cough* who wanted to pretend like everything they ever did was the result of their hard work and no one helped them ever.
Hemingway wrote his short stories and novels in cafes, continually interrupted by chats with artist friends.
F. Scott Fitzgerald got ideas from his wife. When they weren’t together, his stories were mysteriously… lacking.
Don’t choke your creativity by being your only collaborator.
Trying to Go it Alone?
Try these tactics instead:
Join a creative group
Talk out your ideas with other people
Help someone else with their project
Don’t fall for the myth of the “solitary genius.” You’ll be way happier (and you’ll make better stuff).
3. There Are No Bad Questions, and There Are No Good Ideas
Have you been trying to peek into the creases of time to discover if your ideas have achieved that lofty goal of being “good?”
Has that sparked joy?
No? Then throw the whole idea out!
Kurt and Jane Didn’t Care, and Neither Should You
The greatest classic of literature were first published as throwaway “genre fiction.”
Kurt Vonnegut just liked writing SciFi.
Jane Austen just wanted to write pop romance.
They didn’t think about whether 500 years hence, people in universities would be arguing over their word choice.
They wrote the books they wanted to read.
“So How Do I Judge Myself Now?”
It can be hard to get rid of these self-doubting thoughts, so let’s replace them.
Instead of, “Is this good?”...
… ask, “Would I like reading this?” or “Would I like listening to this?” or whatever makes sense for your passion.
Whatever it is, would you like it? You, a real breathing person, not an unattainable, indefinable concept like “good.”
4. Make a Space to Make Stuff
You’ve probably had the work-from-home advice drilled into your head: you need a special place in your home that’s only for work.
This cues your distracted, immensely busy brain that it is, indeed, time to shut the bleep up and do some work.
It works the same way for everything you do…
... Including creativity!
How to Trick Your Brain into Doing What You Want, When You Want
Find a spot in your home that is totally for creativity.
It’s not for your day job. It’s not for playing games or chatting with friends.
It is completely devoted to creative expression. Even a small area will do, just make sure it’s totally reserved for you to make stuff.
Not Sure How to Start?
You can click here to access our MakeSpace guide.
We’ll break down exactly how to set up your creative zone so you can maximize your flow.
It’s all approved by science (probably, I haven’t asked any scientists).
5. Suffering Artists Do More Suffering Than Art
This is another artist stereotype we’ve got to put to bed so it can take a long nap and wake up in a better mood.
You can’t make a sculpture if your hand is broken.
So why are you expecting yourself to make great stuff when your most important tool (your brain!) feels messed up?
Anxiety, depression, all of our traumas and illnesses… No, they won’t stop you. But they sure as hell will slow you down.
The Most Disturbing Metaphor I’ve Ever Used
David Lynch calls it “the suffocating rubber clown suit of negativity.”
As much as I don’t like to think about that, it’s an apt way to describe it.
If your emotional and mental health is holding you back, sometimes it feels like you can hardly move.
You need to work on and love your brain in order to love the art that comes out of it.
What’s Up, Doc?
I’m not going to presume to give you advice on exactly HOW to deal with the suffocating rubber clown suit of mental illness.
That’s going to vary widely, and there are experts who can do that way better (yay therapy!).
But I will suggest you stop beating yourself up for not being at your full creative potential, when you need to take care of your mind first.
6. Fight Distractions.
Distractions can mean different things for different people.
Basically, anything that pulls you out of your zone and keeps you from working… THROW IT OUT.
Or at least leave it with a babysitter for a while.
Here’s a few common distractions to start with...
Turn wifi off on your computer and phone.
Better yet, leave your phone in another room, on silent.
Take your dog, cat, or boyfriend out or a walk before you start working. Then leave them in another room, too.
Now that you’ve gotten rid of the main ones, you’ll probably still feel distracted. How do you fight that?
How to Identify Your Top Distractions
Try this the next time you sit down for a creative session…
Have a pen and notepad at the ready.
Any time you’re taken out of your zone, write down what happened.
After you do this once or twice, patterns should begin to emerge. Take those distractions out of your creative space!
7. If You Don’t Schedule Time, You Won’t Have Time
Put time on your calendar.
Even if it’s just ten minutes every couple of days. Better if it’s two hours every day. Whatever you can make work.
But write it down and stick to it. The frequency and length of the sessions doesn’t really matter.
What matters is it’s on your schedule, you’ve committed, you’ve let everyone KNOW you’ve committed, and you’re going to sit down and make stuff.
“What If I Don’t Have Any Ideas?”
This creative time is non-negotiable. It’s not just “in case inspiration strikes.”
This is the dedicated time that is necessary to finish your novel, draw your comic book, get better at piano, whatever it is.
It’s not important if you “have an idea.”
Sit your butt in a chair. Set a timer. Make crap if you have to. But try.
Give yourself the gift of commitment (even better than diamonds).
Now What?
Which of these 7 tips hit you the hardest? Which one made you look around your house and wonder if we have cameras trained on you and your habits?
We don’t have cameras, but we’ve been there. Creating is hard. Art is hard.
It’s what you were put on this earth to do.
And if you conquer these 7 saboteurs, you’ll find your voice is flowing easier than ever before.
I’m so glad you’re taking this time to let it flow… Because the world needs it.
Thank You, In Advance
I’m so excited to hear which of our 7 tips resonated with you.
Comment below which one is your biggest challenge, and what you’re going to do to KICK IT’S ASS!
Need Extra Help in Your Battle to Make Stuff?
Download our 21 Creativity Killers (and How to Fight Back).
It’s an easy guide to figuring out exactly what’s holding you back from your full creative potential.
Plus, it’s got an Action Plan Template. That way you not only diagnose the problem, we help you pull the proverbial nail out of your foot and get back out on the road to making stuff.
Click the button below to get yours!
