Last week I had a day off and instead of writing or drawing, I watched all 8 episodes of Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
I did knit a hat while I watched the entire season, but I didn’t write or draw. I knew I was avoiding doing the work.
Here is a detailed list of ways that keep me from creating, and how I am fighting back. Not perfect. I may think of more reasons.
Seeking perfection is another creativity killer. So here is my imperfect list.
How to kill creativity in six easy steps, and how to fight back
1. Compare yourself to others.
I work on comparing myself to myself. How have I changed, What have I learned? Does my drawing of a cow bring me joy?
I want to keep joy. Not just a dish soap, but an emotion.
This is a change. I had spent years comparing myself to Laura Fernandez. She was in my drawing class in College. Her drawing of a glass of water looked photo-realistic. In 2012, I saw her in Toronto; I told her the story about the water glass and told her, “I never felt like I was a good artist because I couldn’t draw like you.” She said, “You don’t have to draw like me. Draw like you. I have felt the same way about my music. I doubted my ability. All artists have doubts.”
“Comparison is the thief of joy.”
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2. Worry about what people think.
I often worry about what people think. Now I try to think about what I think. Not, “Do they like this?” But, “Do I like this?
The book, Co-Dependent No More, by Melodie Beattie, is helping me set healthy boundaries, and see what I am responsible for, and what other people are responsible for. I am listening to the audio version while I clean out my basement. Setting up a studio space to make art.
We must do our work for its own sake, not for fortune or attention or applause.
― The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle
3. Wait to be inspired.
If I wait to be inspired, it won’t happen. Inspiration can’t find me, because I am thinking about what to eat for dinner, or where is my clean underwear. I am not thinking about art.
Inspiration found me today at my desk.
Inspiration does exist but it must find you working.— Pablo Picasso
4. Negative self-talk.
Negative self-talk got me last Friday. It was a bad case. I watched 8 episodes of a new series on Amazon instead of writing or drawing. Today, I said, “You Got this! I believe in you.”
Yes, talk to yourself in a nice way. Be your own best friend. Do the work to silence the negative voice.
If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.
— Vincent Van Gough
5. Do not fight resistance.
Not fighting resistance won’t get the work done. Ask me. I watched an entire season of a new show on Amazon last week.
Resistance by definition is self-sabotage.
― The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle
6. Don’t schedule time to create.
Create when you feel like it. And you might never feel like it, see steps one through five.
I have started to block out time in my planner and dedicate time to sit at my desk. I am sitting at my desk right now, writing this. From 2:00 to 5:00 every afternoon, I am scheduled to sit. No laundry, no paying bills, no cleaning out the litter boxes. I have four litter boxes now. I used to have seven. I also used to have six cats. Now I have two.
I write only when inspiration strikes. Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp.
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Can you think of any other creativity killers and how you fight back?
Please let me know.
xo
Pamela
p.s. You can listen to Laura’s music here. Laura Fernandez
