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Creativity Termites

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How to Destroy your Creative Spirit One Bite at a Time, AND WHAT TO DO INSTEAD. 

It is really helpful to know when an obstacle is preventing you from creating the work you want to produce. This realization, along with knowing what to do instead, is a very helpful combination. The following obstacles inhibit creativity. One possible antidote is listed – if it isn’t going to work well, search for one that better suits you. BTW, we all have termites at one time or another – mine are on this list too!

Negative Comparison – “My work isn’t as good as yours.” Antidote: Establish your own goals for your work and measure your satisfaction and success by your own standards. Learn to appreciate that there will always be work that is more developed than yours, and less developed as well. If you feel twinges of envy when you see another person’s great work, ask yourself if you are willing to do the hard work they did to get there. 

Excuses – Anything can serve as a “good” reason to avoid working, learning a new skill, etc. Antidote: Do whatever you can to stand up to the discouraging message and begin doing what you have been avoiding. Learn to tolerate some anxiety or other feelings that might accompany this process. 

Perfectionism – High standards taken too far. Can sap the pleasure from being creative, and interfere with creativity itself. Perfectionism is not the same as having high standards. Antidote: Consider embracing imperfection in your work and in people. Practice the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi that recognizes the beauty in imperfection and incompleteness. In every imperfection lies the potential for beauty.

Criticism – The inner critic negatively judges you and your work. Antidote: Recognize that there is likely a positive intention behind the critic’s negative message. Ex: “You aren’t good enough” can be the critic’s attempt to motivate you to take more risks or to be more disciplined. Accept the challenge and ask the critic to step back a little so you can proceed without judgment. 

Scattered – Responsibilities, obligations, others’ needs, and distractions leave you unfocused and unmotivated. It’s hard to say “no” and carve out time for yourself. Antidote: Take stock of what you value and then prioritize. Be sure to include yourself as one of the priorities. Practice saying “no” graciously. 

Self-Doubt – The insidious nature of this termite eats away at your self-confidence and undermines the foundation of your efforts. Relentlessly questioning your decisions makes you squeamish about moving forward. Antidote: Ask yourself if the voice of self-doubt is basically a critic or a perfectionist (see above for suggestions), or an anxious Nellie. If anxiety is the issue, don’t try to block your anxiety, put it on a imagined train with you standing on the platform at a train station. Watch it gradually disappear from site. While the train is moving, work on your project.

Comfort Zone – Ah, the creative quicksand that takes the joy out of making. Antidote: Devote at least a little time whenever you sit down and work to take risks, experiment, or to be playful. 


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