Another day, another 35 minute timer set.
“What is the opposite of creative ?”
This is a question that arose during my Design Your Own Character workshop this week. Part of the exercise I led the group through involved exploring who we are by considering adjectives that described who we're not. As the group began describing their opposite, we found ourselves confronted with a really interesting question: what is the opposite of creative?
What first came to my mind as the opposite of “creative” was “blocked”. There’s something to be said about creativity being a natural order of life. We are all inherently creative and yet somehow as we mature as adults things get in the way and we get plugged by excuses (valid I’m sure) but we lose our access to a natural flow state. We forget that “creativity is the natural order of life. Life is energy: pure creative energy," as Julia Cameron reminds us.
So in the spirit of honesty and remembrance, I decided to self-diagnose my blockages in an attempt to unleash my creativity (through writing this Substack) and this is my current diagnosis:
Not creating enough space and time. This requires discipline and consistency. As ceramicist Jennifer Owen reminded me today in this short documentary on her life as an artist, a myth is that you need a whole day or 3 whole hours, “if you just have one hour you can still do something creative”. Or in my case, 35 minutes.
Confusing busyness with progress. Filling my days with activities that orbit creativity (like having meetings and admin) rather than actually creating.
The burden of potential. Seeing so many possibilities in an idea that I overwhelm myself with everything it could become before I’ve even allowed myself to enjoy what it is. Stretching myself too thin across too many projects rather than prioritising the ideas that excite me most and allowing my curiosity to lead.
Not scheduling time for self-care. Call it Artist Dates, call it self-love but in order to be “in that wondrous state” as Robert Henri refers to it, we need to look after ourselves. We need to treat ourselves. Seduce creativity into our lives by showing up for ourselves (and therefore our dreams). Rest when you need to. Stay hydrated. Feel the sunlight on your face as you inhale the woods. Water your plant.
The money trap. Demanding that my creative pursuits turn into reliable sources of income. I absolutely believe it's possible (I've seen it happen), but it takes time, and particularly in the beginning, it relies on the support of a community. If you're in a position to pay it forward and support another artist's work, you're helping to make their livelihood possible. The ultimate flex and sign of success.
Taking play too seriously. Demanding that creativity needs to be productive. Such a difficult one and sounds seriously ridiculous.
Overthinking. As my grandad would proclaim, “overanalysis leads to paralysis!”
Stuck in the permission cycle. Seeking external validation that an idea is worth pursuing when perhaps the fact that it excites me should be reason enough to do it anyway.
Not giving myself the encouragement I give others. Being patient and kind with other people's creative journeys whilst expecting my own to move faster, achieve more and somehow arrive at a destination despite knowing that it’s all about the process (note taken, teacher).
Success amnesia. Forgetting all of the previous wins and feeling like a failure despite the fact that I’m hitting milestones I once could only dream of. Hello Louise?? Are you forgetting you had a sold out one-woman show last year? And leading role in a feature film that’s yet to be released??
The prescription?
Make time. Make space. Make something.
Follow your curiosity. Give yourself permission to play, to fail, to make something “entirely pointless”. Celebrate yours wins. Appreciate what you’ve already achieved. Be as kind and as encouraging to yourself as you would be with others. Support other artists. Allow yourself to be supported too.
Override any doubt by taking action, any action. Let the feedback guide you.
Stop demanding that every creative impulse needs to justify its existence.
Not every hour or every minute needs to be productive. Not everything needs to become something shareable. Not every idea needs to become an eventual business.
What if the act of creating is enough?
Perhaps, in my case, the opposite of being creative is simply forgetting that we always have a choice to be creative.
The good news?
We can choose again.
35 minutes at a time.
This is my version ^
What does your “creative triage” look like?
What guidance would you prescribe yourself?
Let me know in the comments below!