How to Stop Fear from Killing Your Creativity

7/6/2018

There is a common trait in humans. It goes back to the early times of human development. That special quality that made humans evolve into what we are today. Your mobile device or laptop, your car and any other object you take for granted. All made possible by this critical trait. What is it you may ask?

Well if you have not guessed by now then bear with me a little longer. Because in this article I am going to share with you one of the most important insights we humans need to know.

The Turning Point
In his book, The Rational Optimist, How Prosperity Evolves, author Matt Ridley poses this question. Why did early hominids continue to use a hand ax made of stone for hundreds of thousands of years? Why was there no advance on this tool? Turns out there was no need to develop anything new. Boring but effective. Then one day something happened to another branch of hominid. Something magical.

Somone flipped the switch that set early mankind into the fast lane. That event was the first trade of goods. When mankind began to exchange one valuable item for another valuable item. Suddenly there was a reason to come up with goods that others needed. Goods you could trade for something you wanted. Trade unleashed the forces of creativity.

Creativity Unleashed
In the blink of an eye, in relative terms, humans were sending men to the moon in rockets. And here we are communicating over the internet. Isn't creativity a miracle?

It is creativity that accounts for everything we use and enjoy in our modern world. Alan Alda said "Be brave enough to live creatively." Our achievements over the past century would seem to suggest that we do that.

As a species we have never had it so good. Not even in the fifties or sixties. The facts say we are at the top of our game and anything is possible. Yet so many of us still experience that massive killer of creativity. Fear.

Enter the Killer
Instead of boldness many of us are fearful. It seems that the hardwired protective instinct still keeps so many people trapped. If it is creativity that set us humans free then it is a real shame that many of us are afraid to create. But ask yourself why this should be. Should we not take to creativity like the proverbial duck to water?

As a child you did not fear creativity. Children are learning machines and are fearless. Try everything and anything goes. Until the fears of adulthood get handed down. For many children the later experiences of embarassment and ridicule inhibit future development. Much of this pain continues into adulthood.

Age Amplifies Fear
I have seen this in art students who are afraid to try new things. It takes courage to take up art again. Many artists have put off their creative pursuits for careers and families. When these obligations run out they want to take up art again. No problem, right?

This should be a time of creative joy rekindled. Instead you look at it as a risk. You do not want to look foolish. Oh nonsense others say. It is only painting. But to the artist it is years of ego that is at risk. Psyches are fragile and there is risk in exposing your art to others. This is especially true of those that painted well a few decades ago. Now the skills have faded and it is unsettling.

You find yourself thinking up ways to minimise the risk. You try a few paintings. Or write a few chapters, whatever your craft may be. But the results are a shock. Can it be this difficult? Instead of a pretty painting to frame and display the artist has a flopped effort. Instead of forging on to clean off the rust the artist gives up. Or procrastinates only to forget about it later.

Here is the truth. The more important it is to take up your creative pursuit, the harder it becomes to do so.

Face Your Fear
This is the work of fear. Fear will stop your creative happiness every time. Have you heard the saying that fear is figments of the imagination that appear real? The correct term is anxiety since this is an imaginary condition. But this is to downplay the power of the fear.

How to combat this fear? If creative fear is imaginary then it must be easy to conquer? Not so. Look at it this way. Your creative instinct comes from your self. Your soul. But your fear comes from your ego. That outer layer that presents itself to the world. The ego must also protect itself at all costs. Your soul and your ego will oppose each other when your ego perceives a risk.

Steven Pressfield covers this idea in his excellent book The War of Art. Pressfield calls this ego generated foe The Resistance. The resistance is a cold and powerful force that will fight your creativity at all costs. Remember that your ego is programmed to protect itself. Things can get ugly when the ego goes to war.

What is The Risk of Giving Up?
Some people do recognise the battle and can step back and observe. They see that the risk of giving up is more damaging than the risk of creating. They know it is hard, but they persevere. They write the book. Paint the painting. They do the work despite the fear, risk and doubts. They understand what is at stake. To create is to complete the work no matter what the art turns out to be in the end.

So how do you reach the point where you take the plunge despite the fear?

Here are a list of suggested methods.

Recognise Fear in its many disguises. Procrastination is one of them. It seems so innocent and trivial. When chores look more important than starting your art. When you have to dash out to the store to get something for tea. When you have to answer those emails. All lies.
Set a date the night before. Work out what you need to do tomorrow at x-time. Write this down in your diary. Set the timer. Show up. Beat procrastination to the first punch.
Make yourself accountable. To your significant other. Your friend or someone trustworthy. Yes not all your friends want to take your plans seriously. You need someone to put you in your place when you chicken out.
Arrange your reward. When you complete your date you get the reward. Make it honorable, not something that shames you like a cheeseburger after going to the gym.
Take lessons, workshops or find a mentor. Not only do you commit to something you also learn and you must account for your efforts.
Set goals. Small, medium and large. Incremental steps that lead to something significant. An exhibition, publication, website launch, market day. All these are big goals. The little steps must add up to the big goals. A chapter a day and so on.
Get fighty. When someone makes small of your ambitions. Jokes about your ideas. It is time to stand up and back yourself. No need to lose your temper. Instead make sure that people understand that you are serious. They cannot undermine you with cynicism.
Be Ready for Battle. So you have started the project. You reach half way. You have second thoughts. The painting sucks. The book is twaddle. Abandon this before someone sees it! Wrong. Keep going at all costs until you finish.
Finish line blues. Hold on it gets worse. Now you doubt yourself all over again. The finished work is terrible. How could you have been so foolish? Wrong again. This is not a once off deal and you are not getting off so easy ya big sissy. Make a date for tomorrow.
Start the next work right away.