The Creative Journal #1 // Getting Started
Ever have desires to create but can’t seem to get yourself to actually do it?
It’s no secret that starting any kind of creative project can often be the hardest part. Whether it’s writing a story, writing lyrics, creating a song, or even stepping outside to capture photos; developing an idea from scratch and mustering the motivation to initiate creativity is challenging.
Can you relate? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. All artists/creators have struggled with this at one point or another.
It’s also known simply as procrastination.
My belief is that this challenge stems primarily from fear. We have this expectation of our own ability that we desperately want to live up to, and taking that first step is often viewed as an opportunity to fail to meet that expectation.
What if it sucks?
Well, try again and learn from your mistakes.
What if people don’t like it?
Do you like it? If so, who cares? What matters is that you enjoyed the process and are proud of your work.
The Nike Mindset - Just Do It!
Fear of failure simply MUST be cast away because by trying and failing, you at least are giving yourself the chance to learn and get better. True failure is letting that fear keep you from progressing.
What if I’m just not in a creative mood?
This is also a common struggle: finding the motivation or the “right mood.” The reality is that most of the time we’re not going to “feel” like sitting down and getting started on something new.
The best advice I can give is to sit down and at just TRY. Many professional artists or writers don’t wait for the right moment to start creating, they create the right moment by believing that if they sit down and TRY to get the ball rolling, the creative flow will come.
What if I end up just sitting and twiddling my thumbs for an hour?
Ok, if you’ve been struggling for an hour and still have nothing, don’t force it. There are plenty of other things you can do to improve your creativity:
- Read a book
- Watch tutorials on YouTube (or Dtube)
- Take a walk
- Listen to some music and exercise
- Examine other’s work and think of ways you’d do it differently
The fact of the matter is that YOU have a voice, a perspective that is unique. Take a leap and give it a shot. Yeah, it might not be your best work, but it could be! The important thing is that you try, never stop learning, and progress. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Cheers fellow steemers!
Nice post bro.
Writers block is a very real think, and I unfortunately suffer from it like many creators.
I wish I could say I’ve conquered it, but I’m right there with ya! I’ve found that focusing on the medium that comes naturally helps. For instance, music production is easier for me to just sit down and jam with, then I can get in that creative mindset.
I definitely agree with that. For me it's making art, which I tend to default to just drawing. It definitely comes a lot more natural than writing, I'm trying to improve though!! What type of music production do you do? You should post some of your stuff on steemit :)
@mrslauren That's awesome! I've just never had a knack for drawing. I try to work on it as much as I can but tend to focus on more digital media. My goal for anything is just to improve everyday, even if it's in small increments.
I actually just posted one yesterday! You should check it out :) I make electronic music with some acoustic elements. Definitely have a long ways to go, but it's what makes me the happiest. I love playing the piano and singing, but there are much better voices out there for sure.