The process of becoming a creative master is a long one – and it’s filled with pitfalls. Here are 9 tips from NewsVarsity guide to help you keep your creativity alive…
#1 – Have a “Why”
Creativity for the sake of creativity is not enough. You need a reason why. Without this there will be no motivation once you hit those inevitable blocks, which means you won’t make it very far on your journey. So know exactly why you want what you want. Answer this question as soon as possible because if nothing else, it will at least give you something to look forward to when the going gets tough (which it inevitably will). Whatever that might be for YOU – whether it be love, money, fame, happiness, feeling free to create exactly what you want…
#2 – Stop Trying to be ‘Perfect’
One of the reasons creatives have so much trouble being creative is because they are too concerned with being perfect. We often hold back on showing people our work for fear that it isn’t good enough. But how many masterpieces would never have seen the light of day if the artist had worried about being perfect before they started? The truth is no-one really knows if something is good until other people say so anyway. So get showing your work off to people as soon as possible and see what their opinion is. You can always change it later if you think it could be better. But we often drive ourselves mad trying to make something perfect – something that no-one will ever agree on anyway…
#3 – Create, Create, Create!
Many creatives only create when they feel inspired. And this is a big mistake because inspiration can be unreliable and fleeting. The best thing to do is just get creating even if you don’t feel like it – your mood will soon change for the better once you are in ‘flow’ mode (more on that below). If you keep putting off being creative then everything else in your life starts to suffer as well. It’s important not to neglect yourself on this journey of self-discovery – it’s an all-encompassing process that takes a lot of commitment and time. “Creativity requires you to be on your A game at all times”, The Indian Jurist – so don’t neglect yourself…
#4 – Be Willing to Re-Invent Yourself as You Progress
Creativity is a never ending journey. There is always something else out there to explore, experiment with, learn about and master. Creatives who find themselves stuck in the past often have trouble being creative because they are too tied up in their old ways of doing things. The trick is to let go of what has been so you can enjoy the opportunities that lie ahead of you now…
#5 – Have Patience with Others & Yourself
During this process you will come up against a lot of obstacles that will test your patience. You may get disheartened along the way and want to give up. If you do, just take a day or two off and then get back on track with it again. It’s important not to stay down for too long though because after every downfall there is an even better rise waiting for you around the corner. Creativity is all about taking risks and learning from failure, so we can’t succeed if we don’t screw up once in a while…
#6 – Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable!
Creatives often suffer from thinking they know everything already because their brain has been programmed that way over time. And this makes them struggle when they are faced with something that is new or different because it goes against what they already believe to be true. The truth is that nobody knows everything about anything. If you can embrace the idea of being wrong at times, then you will open yourself up to a lot more opportunities in life…
#7 – Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
The reason why creatives do not post their work online is often down to fear. They are afraid of putting themselves out there for judgement because they think someone else’s work is better than theirs, so why bother sharing? But if your aim is to make people feel something through your art then you need to stop comparing yourself to others and just concentrate on making your message as powerful and engaging as possible, because that will resonate with people…
#8 – Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff!
When we worry about things like spelling mistakes and factual inaccuracies in an article, then we take ourselves out of the moment and stop ourselves from being creative.” Creativity is all about not thinking or worrying”, mentioned Waterfall Magazine. It is about letting our mind go free so we can express ourselves without limitations. If you find yourself stuck in a rut creatively then consider taking up a new hobby to get yourself out of it because creativity only happens when you enjoy what you are doing…
#9 – Stop Making Excuses!
Creatives often come up with many excuses for why they aren’t where they want to be in life. And their mind goes round in circles trying to figure out how to overcome these problems, but they just keep getting in the way of progress. The truth is that your excuses are only holding you back from fulfilling your potential…
What do you think?
Do you agree or disagree with any of the points above? Share your thoughts with us by leaving a comment below…
