Staying in Motion
How to Choose Creativity Every Day
First, we must all admit that we have and feel fear. We have the opportunity to feel it every minute of every day. Fear of saying the wrong thing, fear of throwing out a "stupid" idea, or fear of sharing our hard work with others...
These feelings are not exclusive to one type of person or the next; we are all beaten down by self-doubt at some point or another. Rather, it's what you do next that seems to separate the opportunists from the self-proclaimed victims.
There are ways to choose creativity every day and rarely are these the same for everyone. The following are four methods I use to keep doubt and anxiety at bay during the creative process.
Find Courage
Fear is the enemy that never seems to get off our backs. But, we must shake it - over and over if we must - to make room for the healing power of courage. Having courage opens and permits the mind to explore, which in turn fosters what we're all after: creativity.
Tap into Emotion
Just as traditional journalism suggests, we must tap into the emotions of others, as well as of ourselves, in order to uncover whatever is beneath the surface. Finding that passion is what allows us to really push past any mental barriers we've built, without hardly noticing. Passion is like jet fuel!
Never Stop Learning
I've always dubbed myself the "ever student," because I seem to be a natural-born learner that is always seeking information to better understand what's going on around me. I've found that without the humility it takes to learn, it's nearly impossible to stay creative; the false notion of knowing everything can be quite toxic to ingenuity.
Don't Be Afraid of Destruction
If a sense of monotony is holding us back and stifling our imagination, it's important that we are comfortable with destroying our own work. I've been working on this mentality for years and have yet to become fully okay with it. What I have accepted however, is if you're looking for a masterpiece, you'll most likely have to wade through several drafts and countless revisions to get there.
Simultaneously feeding a desire to create and supporting the destruction of your own work seems counterintuitive, I know. But if you work to keep a balance between the two, it'll ultimately be what keeps your creative ideas continually in motion.