Idea Tango

Beyond "I'm NOT Creative" - Even Practiced Creative People Have Fear

Welcome to everyone coming from WomanTalk Live - you'll find the common saboteur sayings at the end of this post - under the sign off.

Philosophizing about internal creativity saboteurs when a creative undertaking is NOT in front of you is a totally different ball game from confronting and navigating that same saboteur when an actual creative opportunity has presented itself.

The reality is we can talk about our fears forever, but unless we put ourselves in fear-inducing creative situations and practice navigating the saboteur voices, we stay stuck. We miss chance after chance to take the next step toward developing saboteur navigation skills we can count on.

The very genuine responses to February’s Sandbox suggest that many of us spent at least some time staring our creativity saboteurs square in the face. Some may have even wondered if they’d ever be able to make the “I’M CREATIVE!” claim for real. 

And this is great. It means we have the chance to take that next step – because:

If you felt any level of fear at all about the Sandbox (or any creative opportunity you’ve had recently), you took a risk.

You opened the door (no matter how far); you moved out of your comfort zone (if only by a step); you allowed yourself to go far enough to put your saboteurs on high alert: 

“Hey, GUYS! She’s about to stick her neck out!

Everyone to your posts! Stop her by whatever means necessary!!!

DO NOT LET HER MAKE A FOOL OF HERSELF.”

Even those who contributed a comment – experienced some level of saboteur harassment.

The only difference is how much practice and skill a person has in navigating the saboteur onslaught. The reality is we’re all in the same boat.

And that does sound true, doesn’t it? Yet our human tendency to judge our insides by other people’s outsides means that, at times, we can feel like we’re the only ones who are scared.

So, it can help to know that even though the creativity saboteur singing in the practiced creative person’s ear may not be straight-up saying, “You’re not creative,” it is saying SOMETHING. And to move forward that person still has to navigate the fear. After all, any saboteur voice has the potential to steer us into the rocks, stopping us from taking life-enhancing, game-changing, goal-getting creative chances.

Shifting from panic around creativity (or whatever the emotion is for you) to power (the ability to move forward despite the saboteur) is one of the most important works of our lives. Sleeping within our inherently creative selves are tangible gifts of our creativity. Gifts so magnificent, they’re worth taking the next step. Starting now.

Engaging the Saboteur Week One:

• Ask someone you consider highly creative what fears she or he encounters when faced with a creative challenge, idea or project.

• Take a look below my sign off for a few of the common saboteur voices practiced creative people hear.

To leveling the playing field,

Susan B.

BEYOND "I'M NOT CREATIVE"

The limiting beliefs, negative self-talk and internal critic sayings that can run through even the most experienced creative person's mind.

• Sure, I was creative last time, but I got lucky.
• Sure, I was creative last time, but I had help.
• Everyone liked what I did last time, I can't risk losing their good opinion of me by trying something new.
• Okay. Everyone says I'm great, but I know the truth.
  
• I have to be brilliant - EVERY TIME.
• I'll never be as good as those guys.
• They don't know that it's easy for me. It doesn't count if it's easy.
• I'm struggling with this, I've lost my spark.
• I took lessons. That's the only reason I'm good.
• I better not (do, say, create) THAT! I'll look (stupid, silly, amateurish).
  
• I should be better than this by now.
• My (poem, painting, meal, formula) was rejected. I suck.
• If they don't like my work, they don't like me.
• If I'm successful, I'll have to do it again - and that's too much pressure.
• It's not the right time.
• I don't have the (money, time, talent) to pursue my creative dreams.
• I'm a phony.
• What if I fail?
  
• I'm not creating ENOUGH. Everyone else is so prolific.
• Thanks, but I'm not a real (poet, artist, chemist, chef).
• ABSOLUTELY ANY AND EVERY "SHOULD," "COULD," OR "WOULD."

So, this list is very incomplete. I SHOULD have researched it more. What are the REAL creatives going to say? They're going to find out I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! Maybe I COULD just hit DELETE. 

Unlocked Box – coaching for risk-takers, box-breakers and wannabe’s. Sign up for the eZine Guts at UnlockedBox.com and get the 10 Un-Rules of Creativity.

Sandbox: Debriefing Goethe

If you're coming from the WomanTalk Live article, WELCOME! Just scroll down for the debrief questions.

Last week, I introduced the Sandbox Challenge and invited you to take part. If you didn’t have the chance to play in the first Sandbox, it’s never too late. Just visit the Editing Goethe post. And, of course, check out the comments sections to read the contributions.

For those who did play, or almost played, or even thought for a mere second about playing, or just checked it out: A BIG THANK YOU and KUDOS. Let’s complete this Sandbox with a little self-reflection and celebration.

In short, let’s debrief! 

Whether you’re working on building your creative confidence, or have already claimed your inherent magnificence, a simple debrief can catapult you to the next level much faster than, well, remaining unconscious.

Most importantly, reflection gives us all the chance to discover and name what we want to celebrate about who we are and who we were being in the experience.

This alone is worth the price of admission. After all, how often do we ask: What am I celebrating about me today?

Because no matter who we were or what the outcome, there is always something to be learned, celebrated, remembered. All we have to do is become aware: To simply notice – without judgment and with great love and compassion for the beautiful being living within our skin.

Sandbox Debrief: What were YOUR deeds and sufferings of Editing Goethe?

SYNOPSIZED FROM THE WIKI: Experiential trainer and researcher, Ernesto Yturralde, defines the debrief in this way: The debriefing is a semi-structured process that occurs after a certain activity is accomplished in which the facilitator asks a series of progressive questions that invite participants to reflect on what happened and share important insights with the goal of linking the challenge to the future.

In other words, reflection in service of growth - of determining what was learned and applying that self knowledge to "next time."

Here are your debrief questions - I invite you to spend a little time reflecting on each:

What did you notice about your first reaction to the Sandbox Challenge?

What did you notice when you found out what the specific challenge was?

What/which internal saboteurs showed up initially (if any)? What did they say to you?

Once you made the decision to play or not play with the Goethe quote, what happened? Emotionally? Behaviorally? In your body?

Once you began to create, what did you notice? (If you chose not to play at all, but perhaps read the reminders about the challenge, what came up for you?)

What worked and what didn't work in navigating your internal saboteurs during the Sandbox experience?

What do you want to honor or acknowledge about the way you participated in the Sandbox?

What new knowledge do you have about yourself and your creativity?

Who were you being during the Sandbox exercise?

What do you want to remember from your Sandbox experience?

Based on this Sandbox experience, what will be different next time?

What commitments will you make to yourself? 

What are you celebrating about yourself and your creativity?

Thanks again to everyone - here's to paying attention,

 Susan B. 

Unlocked Box – coaching for risk-takers, box-breakers and wannabe’s.

Sign up for the eZine Guts at UnlockedBox.com and get the 10 Un-Rules of Creativity.

 

Sandbox: Editing Goethe

I’m really excited to introduce a new feature of Idea Tango – a creative challenge. A chance for us to exercise our inherent creativity, get our hands dirty and have fun creating together.

How it Works: In each Sandbox, I’ll invite you to take part in a new creative challenge. They’ll cover all types of media (words, pictures, ideas, sound, etc), and all types of creative doings and beings. So, if one challenge isn’t your thing, you might go nuts over the next. Okay. Let’s play!

Your Sandbox Challenge: Editing Goethe

Try your hand at re-conceiving/re-writing a quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German writer, artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, poet and all-around person of neat ideas. Here’s your quote:

Colors are the deeds and sufferings of light.

                     - Goethe

I heard this quote for the first time just recently. It really sent my brain spinning at the possibilities. I thought about what it means at face value; what it means under the surface; why he chose emotionally charged words to describe something of science; and, ESPECIALLY, how other things or ideas might be described using the same structure:

____ are the ___ and ___ of ___ .

___ are the deeds and sufferings of ___. 

How to Submit Your Creation: Simply share your Sandbox creation in a comment to THIS post. You can use either structure from the examples above – or try something completely different. Whatever inspires YOU. And don’t forget that the creative process we’ve been discussing applies to sandbox challenges. If you’d like to play, but don’t know where to start, click on the “creative process” category at the right and start at the first step – by being a sponge while holding this particular Sandbox in your mind.

Winning the Sandbox: Sandbox is a safe space to play with creativity and share ideas and creations. If you take part, you are clearly a winner! I’m looking forward to celebrating ALL the responses and I’d love for us all to support each other using the “like” and comment buttons.

Is it Worth the Risk of Ridicule? I moderate this blog. Nothing negative or mean will be posted. Plus, the only people who read Idea Tango are those who are also interested in exploring creativity – and typically openhearted and kind to each other. In short, people who understand the guts it takes to put your ideas out there and will cheer you on, not tear you down. 

The point is to simply participate in the great sandbox of creativity; to practice extending your comfort zone; and, most importantly, to build a foundation that supports an “I’m Creative” perspective. The best way to believe in the fire of your own inherent creativity is to experience it by walking through the fire.

More Sandboxes to come – but not too often! So, don’t miss this one!!!

To the playful creativity that comes from borrowing someone else’s genius as a starting point,

Susan B.

Unlocked Box – coaching for risk-takers, box-breakers and wannabe’s.

Sign up for the eZine Guts at UnlockedBox.com and get the 10 Un-Rules of Creativity.