The pressure to create: a different & more generative way to interact with it
This new habit of writing everyday felt fun and freeing. I felt so focused and in a state of flow….and then on Day 9 that fun got replaced with frustration.
My thoughts shifted to how reaching my goals depends on me producing good writing today, so I better make these 20 minutes count. Instead of letting the words stream out of my fingertips, I began critiquing my writing.
As I reflect on this experience it’s obvious to see how my perspective on this daily commitment I made to myself had shifted. The passion, enjoyment and momentum I was feeling, quickly got crowded out by pressure.
On Day 11 I got curious about how I could think about this commitment differently. I was determined to find a way to shift my mindset, so I could release the pressure and come back to writing in a way that was freeing and playful once again.
This is what I want to talk with you about today……
The pressure to be creative and produce creative work.
The pressure to make your creative time count.
The pressure to make progress towards your creative goals and artistic visions.
The pressure that builds in our minds…..that we place upon ourselves.
But mostly what I want to talk about is what you can do, so that your creative time doesn’t turn into a stressful, urgent, make or break, pressure-filled experience.
And if it does (which happens)…give you a way to shift your mindset/thinking…so you can course correct and bring back the enjoyment, passion and fun.
Let’s get into it…..
How does this pressure creep in?
It’s the way we are thinking about what we want to create and how we respond to those thoughts…that induces the pressure.
For example…
Reaching your goal of writing a novel depends on getting another chapter done…so we may start thinking… “I have to write something really good today.” [cue the pressure cooker]
Or
Today’s day 43 of painting everyday. Only today you don’t know what to paint and feel uninspired. We might start thinking…
“I have so many other things I need to do today……why can’t I think of something to paint…..I have to hurry up and get this painting done.”
You can see how these ways of thinking could bring on that sense of urgency and pressure and shift our nervous systems towards more of a threat response. This may lead to us being more prone to self-judgment and feeling stressed…all of which makes it more difficult to be creative.
Of course, there’s much nuance and complexity to be injected here.
My goal isn’t to paint feeling pressure as a bad experience either. That sense of pressure can be there because this thing you’re creating matters deeply to you…it’s personal. And of course there’s all the scarcity/productivity obsessed conditioning that influences our thinking too.
What I’m aiming to do here, is touch on the importance of noticing how your thinking/mindset can influence the intensity or existance of that pressure.
Now let’s focus on one way you can shift your thinking, relieve that pressure and invite that sense of playfulness and enjoyment back into what you’re creating……
First, think about your favourite charity. One that has a mission that you deeply believe in.
Now consider how this charity’s mission depends on many different types of contributions:
They likely have volunteers contributing their time and skills.
They have participants who buy tickets, sign up for events and fundraise on behalf of the charity.
They have major gift donors and those who leave bequests in their will.
They have people who spread the word on how their work is making a difference.
I think we would all agree, the scope and the way these contributions impact the charity varies.
It’s a diverse range of contributions and yet it all matters. It all adds up.
How does this link back to pressure + your creative time?
See what you create as a contribution.
This isn’t revelatory or a novel way of thinking*….but I think practicing can be powerful...
What you create today, regardless of the quality or quantity.…
….is a contribution to your future self…to the kind of creative and human you’re becoming….and to the creative goals or projects you’re working towards.
…it’s a contribution towards your current self and towards spending your time doing things that bring you joy.
…it’s a contribution towards your creative power, intuitions, skills and instincts.
When you focus on seeing what and how you create as a contribution, you’re taking the wheel back from fear and letting your creativity be driven by LOVE, CURIOSITY, and WONDER.
When you see it as a contribution you’re choosing to TRUST that what you created today is moving you closer to bringing this piece of art to life…even if it doesn’t look or feel like it at the moment.
I invite you to reflect on…..
If what you create is a contribution, what do you get to give to the world and what do you get to receive by making it?
If what you create is a contribution, what kinds of contributions do you want to be making?
Does this resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this and how you see yourself practicing it?
P.S. *I want to give a shout out/reference to Seth Godin and his work, particularly The Practice as he references (and has referenced many times) that our creative work is a contribution.
Although I was not thinking of The Practice book and Seth’s words when I personally was shifting my mindset around writing on Day 11 and thinking about the charity example. I know that his work has/continues to influence me and I think it’s important to give a nod/credit…. as we rarely if ever create in true silos.