What's the single biggest issue you struggle with in being more creative?

[Dan Goodwin]

What's the single biggest issue you struggle with in being more creative?

Is it procrastination?

Trying to make everything perfect, constantly wrestling with your inner critic?

Coming up with new ideas or developing existing ones?

Focusing on one creative project, and actually finishing something?

Finding enough (or any!) time to create?

Something else?

Let us know what's blocking your creativity most right now, that if you could overcome it would mean your creativity would soar to new levels...

[Dan Goodwin]

Hannah, may I ask a couple of things following on from what you've said?

1. "The thing about having an audience for me when I was young and creative is that they confirmed and validated what I felt". What did you feel? And how did the audience confirm and validate it? Because they appeared to be feeling the same thing as you performed?

2. "For me the desire to communicate was paramount". What were you trying to communicate? Or was it just the desire to communicate something, to reach people in some way through performing?

Thanks, Dan.

[Hannah]

You know both questions are deep and hard to answer, which already puts me in the nebulous, muddy territory I encountered when I felt I needed to answer them, which feeling and need I at some point in the misery created by having no answer also started to question, but which hasn't made that feeling and need disappear so maybe it's legitimate. (I know, a mouthful). I mean I think these questions do have answers but they go so deep, they are esoteric. You usually either imply or outright say in your articles that there's really no more reason needed to create than the joy it brings you and I think that's what it comes down to but I felt the need to question that and I'm not quite over it... though the consequences of not creating have become an impetus to try hard to! I think creating, even if it's just performing, being involved in a creative enterprise, is actually pretty much defined by joy and as such can be any activity, which you also have mentioned in your articles. But this joy is kind of impractical and illusory on its own, almost like a drug.

So anyway, even though there is great joy, it's made up of a lot of different colors, each of which is equally grand really. Making art is I think the highest form of prayer, of communing with the divine and all that entails, which is for sure not easy to put into words, which is the point of doing it. It affirms and defines the existence of the artist at her deepest level, the part that is her own and unlike any other because it's her, you know, and not somebody else. But when you define yourself that fully in the world you also have to make contact with that which gives you life and the things which sustain you or which you encounter, both of which are bigger than you. I got validated for this by people's positive reaction. It was truly positive, not lukewarm. I mean, how do you know when someone really likes you? That's another thing that's not easy to put into words. You just know, ha. Well they have to tell you I guess. They told me. While I was young, that was enough.

[Mindful Mimi]

Hi Dan,
Great discussion. For me all of the above applies, depending on the day :-) I have two small children, so time is abig issue. Then comes procrastination. Once at my desk/studio, I fiddle, surf the web for ideas, read blogs of like-minded people and do anything but what I came in to do.
However, I have found a way to trick myself :-)
I recently wanted to bring creativity to my workplace and have organised a first creative workshop among my colleagues. Once I had sent the invitations, there were no more excuses, I had to deliver. So a deadline (created by myself) is what got me going. The first one was a success and the art created was great. I have organised a second one and the thing becomes to make waves. I am now inviting people from other departments and HR is getting wind of it and wants to know whether they can include this in their 'soft skills' training catalogue. When that happens I'll be creative heaven.
Sometimes the secret is to just talk to people about a thing you want to do. Once that idea is out with a few people, they will come back to you from time to time to ask you how it's going and you sort of are obliged to deliver something or look silly :-)
So trap yourselves into this obligation to deliver :-)
Have a great day.
Mimi

[Dan Goodwin]

Hi Mimi,

First of all, welcome to CCS, good to have you here.

I like your idea about telling others to hold you accountable, it's very effective, and one of the reasons people can make such progress with a coach. Having someone "check in" and show an interest in what you've been doing, and acknowledge and celebrate it with you is something you can't do alone.

Your story also shows how when others realise you're creative, then other things develop from it, it "makes waves".

Also, being open about your own creativity gives other people a kind of permission to be creative too, they see you being creative and realise it's OK for them to be too!

Thanks for your comments, hope to hear more,

Dan

[Valerie K]

Hi Dan,

Been thinking about this for a couple of days.

I think my issues are ever-changing. Right now I would say it's a slippery suite of issues around completion and showing the work.

My creativity in the last two years has undergone a process. At first (and at the end of the day)I had issues with procrastination. I have less of an issue with that and writer's block with some of the tools you've shown me. But unless I am vigilant, it is still very easy to do the unproductive thing.

This month I was devoting myself to a "productive obession" with submission of about twenty short stories and flash I have. I can do research just fine, analyze the submission problem. I looked at markets for one week, and made some tentative matches. Then I sent *one* story out. Doing more is overwhelming. Suddenly getting stories up to snuff is daunting. And then formatting for each venue seems like a minefield....

It seems much easier to just throw in the towel in the heat (over 100 here in the desert) and just read in the afternoons. Or clean my house. Or anything but submit.

But this is a far cry from where I used to be and my issue of completion. I have twenty completed stories, which is more than I had two years ago. I've actually finished stories, I have submitted them, had them rejected, had them accepted...so in theory I can submit stories again.

Because the issue keeps mutating, I suspect I have a little issue with self-sabotage....

Thanks for listening.

Valerie K

[Karen Sikora]

Mine would definately be Focusing on one creative project and actually finishing something.I have books of unfinished poems and bits of writing and then as the mood takes me I start something else, I know I need to make time to actually go back over stuff and edit and craft the writing into something complete,this is the thing I struggle with the most at the moment.Procrastination!!

[Dan Goodwin]

Hi Karen, thanks for your comments.

What if you started something small, a short poem for example, then saw it through to a point where you could let it go as finished? Then did this again and again, writing longer, more complex works as you go?

I don't think in practice any of us have only one creative project going at once, and not even think about anything else until we finish it. But when we abandon everything we start, there are things we can do to change this and form new habits of seeing a proportion, if not all, of our creative projects through to a point of finishing.

Dan

[Barbara Ann Storrier]

I read an article this morning that resonated with me and what I have noticed about others who feel blocked creatively ... the tendency to believe that if we think about things enough, we can figure them out. We tend to separate our minds from our bodies, we keep saying over and over that we know we need to pay more attention to our bodies, yet it doesn't happen. Slip on over to this discussion and have a read, and see if it helps in realizing the importance of the physical body in emotional (and CREATIVE) wellness ...

Here's the link

[Giovanni DeMara]

I am married and I am upset that my husband is wtching the basketball game right now, which seems very stupid btecause this should give me some good dreative time. The problem is is that mycerative time is in the morning. So I take it out on my poor unsuspecting husband, so I am looking for friends!

[Dan Goodwin]

Hi Giovanni, welcome to CCS, I think you've come to the right place to find creative, supportive friends.

How could you use times like these to plan creative projects, or gather ideas or materials, or read and research? Even if you don't feel you can actually create at this time of day?

Dan

[Barbara Ann Storrier]

I think my biggest issue has been purpose ... what's the purpose, what's my purpose? I forget about the joy of the process until someone or something asks me to remember. This morning in my writing, I was able to reconcile some things that I've always perceived to be conflicting. Those things being "the courage to change the things I can" and "humility" ... I'll ponder these more and report back on how I'm doing with the harmonizing!

Hugs to all who could use one :)

[Robin Joy Dore]

My biggest issues,I think, is self-confidence, and perfectionistic tendencies.