CHAPTER
6

Locked in the “Creativity Closet”

In This Chapter

• How the “lack mentality” can limit you
• Obstacles based on fear
• Going beyond the negative voices

There are countless numbers of reasons why you may feel stuck in the “creativity closet.” Perhaps you’re feeling a lack of confidence, time, or resources. Maybe your thoughts are preventing you from taking action. Or it could be you’re feeling too old, too young, too vulnerable, or too inexperienced.

While it’s still possible to create with walls surrounding you, you will enjoy your creative journey much more and fulfill its potential once you break through them. Better yet, replacing your blocks with keys to that closet will be even more pleasant and productive! In this chapter, you learn about some of the most common reasons that prevent creative flow, which will help you identify your own blocks.

What’s Keeping You Stuck?

You now know that creativity can be learned and is not reserved for the elite few. However, there may be times where you feel that something is holding you back from being creative. Perhaps you have experienced bursts of creativity in the past and feel stuck now. Or maybe you feel you have yet to tap into your true, creative nature. There may be one primary reason driving your blocks or multiple reasons. Your challenges may be temporary and recent or feel more permanent and date back to your childhood. Situations vary, but what remains the same for every one is the importance of identifying your blocks. Consciously recognizing your obstacles is the first step in moving through the clutter in your “creativity closet” before finding your way out.

Some suggestions will be made to begin working to eradicate your blocks, but the primary purpose of this chapter is to first recognize them by being honest and authentic with yourself. As you explore some of the more common reasons for feeling uninspired, take notes on those that resonate most with you, as this will help you get in touch with your barriers. In some cases, you may find yourself feeling defensive and making comments such as “Oh, that’s not me.” Beware of any “knee-jerk” reactions. While it’s possible your initial reaction is accurate, it’s also possible the words have revealed a sore that needs healing, like a bandage that’s fallen off and causes you to look directly at the wound.

Once you’ve identified your blocks, you can then explore the ideas, techniques, and tools to overcome your obstacles found in later chapters. In the end, it’s all about freeing yourself to be creative. I promise—I won’t leave you locked in the creativity closet!

When What You Have Is Not Enough

This grouping of possible blocks has one thing in common: perceiving or actually lacking what you need to be creative. It even could be that you, yourself, perceive you aren’t good enough. I call it the lack mentality. A good example of this is the cliché of seeing the glass half empty instead of half full. Instead of seeing the possibilities of what you can do, you look at what you can’t do because you think you don’t have enough time, money, ability, confidence, or any number of other things you think are necessary for creativity. See if any of these blocks strike a chord with you.

The Time Trap

Whether your creativity happens within your job, at home, or both, poor time management can become a real stumbling block. This creative block has a lot to do with perception. The truth is, everyone has the same amount of time each day. It’s a matter of how you use your time and being aware of how you manage—or mismanage—it. (After all, most of us know what it feels like to waste time!) Saying you don’t have enough time can be a way to excuse yourself from not engaging in the creative process. Therefore, I suggest you take a deeper look at these time traps and see if they apply to you.

One major time thief for a large number of people these days is technology. Engaging with social media—such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram—can quickly become an addiction. Pouring through an overflowing email inbox also can consume an inordinate amount of your time. So it’s crucial to check in with yourself to see just how much time you spend online, whether it’s with email, surfing the internet, or making and reading posts.

Another way people waste time is with mismanaged downtime. Watching television, spending time with family, gossiping, reading—the list is endless. Not all of the things on your list are time-wasters, particularly spending quality time with family; however, even family time may require setting boundaries. It’s also possible that your daily life is so packed there is no room left to add anything more. You may be at a point in your life when it’s not practical (for example, perhaps you just had a baby).

Time also becomes an issue when you’re dealing with personal problems that go beyond the usual everyday challenges. Examples are dealing with a divorce, a serious health matter, or money issues. Your time and attention can become wrapped up in your emotions, which makes it difficult to prioritize your creative interests.

If you feel a lack of time serves as a block for you, I recommend you seriously explore where you’re spending your precious moments by keeping a time log that tracks your time and then evaluating your findings. By taking an honest inventory of how you spend your day, you’ll probably see that you find the time to do things that are really important to you. Make being creative one of those important things. Also, taking on a new activity may be the very thing that will help get you out of your rut. I know for myself, when I’m in the midst of a personally troubling situation, the worst thing I can do is nothing. Taking action helps move me forward, even if it’s just taking baby steps. That doesn’t mean I’m at my creative best, but it does mean I’m going in the right direction. And for those stressful issues that eat up a lot of time, it’s important to seek the support of family and friends, a therapist, or a spiritual counselor. If you can get enough support, you will begin to shift your focus and create the space you need to engage in some form of creativity, however small.

CREATIVITY COMPASS

Over the course of a summer I spent outside of my home state, I wrote the first draft of a book by longhand. When summer ended and I returned home, I knew the next step was to type the handwritten pages. I enthusiastically began this process, but rather quickly, I told myself I didn’t have enough time due to having too many other responsibilities. Later, I realized that wasn’t the problem at all. It actually was resistance to editing and rewriting, which I knew would surely become part of the process and could consume me. Like me, if you want to get past your creative barriers, always explore what’s really at the core of them!

Fighting with Finances

Do you ever catch yourself saying “I can’t afford that” or “I’d love to but I don’t have the money”? Sure, if you want to make jewelry and start off with platinum and diamonds, those statements may actually be true. In reality, creativity doesn’t have to cost a lot of money or any cash at all. Of course, that depends on your creativity goals, interests, and most importantly, your beliefs. Did you grow up with the belief that you should only spend money on things you need—that something like art supplies is a luxury? If that’s the case, is it possible for you to trace this belief to someone or something in your past? Perhaps you grew up in a household where scarcity thinking was commonplace or deep down you don’t believe you deserve to spend money on creative pursuits.

For example, I once had a client tell me that he really wanted to take guitar lessons but they were too expensive. I asked him how much the lessons cost and he couldn’t tell me because he hadn’t actually made calls to any teachers to find out. He made an assumption that he couldn’t afford lessons. During our next coaching session, he told me he contacted a teacher and learned the lessons weren’t as pricey as he had thought, and he booked his first lesson.

As you can see, sometimes it just takes that little nudge to go beyond your assumptions or beliefs. This block is no different than the others. Get to the root of it, rip it out, and plant new seeds!

Perfectionism = Procrastination

Expecting perfection is actually a form of procrastination because it can paralyze you in your tracks. You won’t even take the first step if you tell yourself “I’m not good enough,” “I haven’t been formally trained,” or “I need to practice more until I can wow my supporters.” Your rational, logical mind knows that perfection isn’t really possible, yet you may find yourself placing these unrealistic expectations upon yourself.

Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a perfectionist, or perhaps you’re a “recovering perfectionist,” you may still hear these voices or similar declarations in your head as you seek to have your high standards matched by your present capabilities. You feel there’s a gap between the two, and this alone can hold you back. For example, if you find yourself picturing a project in your mind’s eye and you don’t think you have the skills to achieve that vision, chances are you won’t even take the first step. On the other hand, it’s possible you allow yourself to create but upon finishing the project, you are so dissatisfied with your results that you destroy your creation entirely.

If you consider yourself to be a perfectionist, it may seem counterintuitive to lower your standards. The question is: Is it more important to create something—anything—that you can continue to work on and improve, or would you rather not create at all if it can’t be perfect? Embracing the former gives you the freedom to keep working, because you’re not holding out for an idea that’s perfect from the get-go. It’s not about making something subpar; it’s about holding yourself to reasonable standards so you can accomplish your goals.

CREATIVITY KEY

Strive for excellence, not perfection. In doing so, you can still aim high and at the same time set reasonable expectations for yourself. If you know you are truly doing your best, you can’t top that!

Colliding with Confidence

Whether you’re a professional creative or a hobbyist, you may suffer from a lack of confidence. The causes vary, but if you don’t believe in yourself or feel uncertain of what you are capable of undertaking, these feelings may be enough to immobilize you and keep you locked in the creativity closet. This block could be tied to the previous one of perfectionism because you set expectations of yourself so high that when you don’t achieve that level, it dings your confidence yet again.

It’s important to look at the reasons behind this block. You may doubt yourself because you don’t have formal training with the creative interest you wish to pursue. For example, if you have a desire to paint but have never taken the first painting class, you may feel too blocked to purchase the necessary supplies because you’re not even sure what you should buy! Or perhaps you’re a self-taught musician and are afraid someone may ask you about your musical background. You don’t want to admit that you haven’t taken any lessons because you’re afraid the person may view you differently than they would a trained musician. In actuality, you may be a better musician than those who have been taught by instructors; however, because your confidence is low, your creativity suffers.

It’s normal to question yourself from time to time—it’s when these insecure feelings are so strong and frequent that they jeopardize your creativity. In order to be creative, you must learn to find that confidence and accept that while there will be times when you don’t know everything, that’s okay.

“I’m Too (Fill in the Blank)”

How did you fill in this blank? Too old, too young, too inexperienced, too fat, too thin, too stupid, too poor, or something else? In this case, the “lack” has to do with not having or no longer having what’s necessary to be creative. This is one of those blocks that really is more a matter of the mind than a rock-solid block.

For example, I once had a friend who was interested in photography tell me that she was too old to learn how to use computer software to retouch her pictures. I asked her, “How old will you be in a year if you take a class to learn this program?” She replied, “I’ll be 60.” I continued, “And how old will you be in a year if you don’t take the class?” I made my point. That old saying—“Age is a matter of the mind. If you don’t mind it, it won’t matter.”—applies here.

Or take the case of singer Susan Boyle, who could have told herself “I’m too shy to perform publicly” or “I don’t have the looks to be a singing star” but didn’t. Instead, she took to the stage to sing on the UK television show Britain’s Got Talent and stunned the judges with her modest appearance, powerful voice, and heartfelt performance. Within days, videos of her surfaced on the internet and she became an overnight sensation. Apparently her desire was stronger than her self-described shyness.

So take a hard look at the “I’m too” excuses you are telling yourself. You deserve to pursue your dreams!

CREATIVITY COMPASS

Louise Hay didn’t let age stop her from following her heart’s desire. She founded a publishing company at around age 60. Today, her company, Hay House Publishing, is one of the leading publishers of spiritually oriented books and materials. It just goes to show you’re never too old to strive for your goals!

Facing Your Fears

The thread that ties this group of blocks together is fear. As you go through these creative blocks, consider the acronym FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real. In each case, the fear is “false evidence” that has been generated by yourself and those who influence you with their own fears (such as family members and even well-meaning friends). Read through each one and see if any of them hits you right in the gut. That’s a sure sign it’s a block that needs removing.

Fear of Failure

Fear of failure ties directly into some of the challenges that I have already addressed. It can stem from a lack of confidence, comparing yourself to others, perfectionism, hanging onto past letdowns, and being critical of yourself. This block of fearing what will happen if you don’t succeed can happen at any stage of the creative process. If it happens at the beginning, you may not even get started. Fear may also strike right in the middle or near the end of your project and make you put all of your tools away and stop. Or after working through your doubts along the way, the fear may return as you are just completing the finishing touches, stifling your final step.

It’s one thing to recognize you have fear; however, it’s critical to get to the bottom of where the fears are coming from. Are the fears rational and tied to one or many experiences from your past? Do they involve other people, or are you trapped alone in the “critic’s corner”?

One way to look at your fear of failure is to ask yourself, “What is the worst that could happen if I did, indeed, fail with this effort?” In my experience, the worst usually doesn’t happen; the fear itself tends to be greater than any failure. Another way to think about failure is to consider how it can be a learning experience. If you can learn lessons to apply to your next creative effort, a failed project will not have been done in vain. Finally, get a handle on your definition of success and failure. Are you setting yourself up for failure because you’ve set your expectations exceedingly high?

Sometimes it’s a matter of how you view the situation that determines whether you’ve succeeded or failed. For example, prolific inventor Thomas Edison is credited with over 1,000 patents, but he also went through more than 10,000 attempts to produce a commercially acceptable light bulb before finally succeeding. To that experience, he is quoted as saying, “I have not failed 10,000 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 10,000 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.” As you can see, if you don’t fear the worst and treat any failure as just another step toward your goal, you can find great creative success.

CREATIVITY KEY

Eliminate the word failure from your creative vocabulary. Recognize when things don’t go as planned, the unanticipated result is just another step in the creative process.

Fear of Success

The flip side of the failure block is fear of success. You may be inhibited before you ever come close to achieving your potential because the fear alone stops you from creating or executing your ideas. This could come from being afraid you won’t be able to handle what you imagine comes with success, such as less privacy and high expectations that could be placed upon you by others. You may also fear some will see you as a fraud or that others will become jealous of you and stop being friends with you.

Your fear could also come from enjoying early success; you want to continue pushing forward but wonder if the best is already behind you. For example, you’ve probably heard the saying, “one-hit wonders,” when referring to bands or singer-songwriters who become well known for a smash single, only to have no commercial success that follows; they weren’t able to capture the same success as that first hit. Another example of this is authors who have had best-sellers who worry that their next book won’t be able to live up to the expectations of their readers. In both cases, it’s based on fear of being a disappointment since the previous success was so great.

Whatever the case, success really is a matter of definition. If your goal is to perform on Broadway and you never make it past community theater, will you see yourself as a failure for not having accomplished that goal or as a success for giving it your all and enjoying the process? It’s important to define what success means to you and avoid allowing outside forces to determine your level of accomplishment.

Risk or Routine?

Uncertainty is built into creativity and falls right in line with fear of success or failure. Ambiguity goes with any new territory you’re exploring because you’re venturing into the unknown. Do you look at that unfamiliar landscape as challenging but exciting, or does it present too much risk for you, so much so that you don’t pursue your idea or project? How much assurance do you need before you can begin? Perhaps you get started with your new project but you falter a bit when risk rears its ugly head once again.

Part of why taking risks can be uncomfortable is because it’s easy to get married to your daily routines. They feel safe because you do them every day and you know what to expect. How can you get past this? As discussed under fear of failure, you can play the “What’s the worst that can happen?” game, knowing the negative outcomes you imagine probably won’t happen. You can also change your perspective on failure to be more like Thomas Edison and start making small changes in your routine so when change presents itself, you will be more comfortable. After all, getting comfortable with uncertainty is part of the creative process (see Chapter 7 for more on this concept).

Rejection … Again

Rejection can tie into failure and success and comes in many forms. You bake what you think is the most scrumptious dessert, only to notice that your guests leave most of it on their plates. You interview for a job that ends up being offered to another candidate. You direct a ballet that gets panned by the local newspaper’s critic. You present your boss with an idea you’re excited about, only to have it shot down.

These examples and countless others are a part of life. It’s your reaction to rejection that counts. Are you letting past criticisms stop you from pursuing new ideas because you’re afraid you’ll be dismissed again? If you stop being creative because of those rejections, you’re stifling your true self. Rejection doesn’t have to be the end; instead, it can be a stepping stone to a better opportunity.

All About Anxiety

As psychotherapist, creativity coach, and author Eric Maisel once put it, “The greatest block to aliveness is anxiety.” Regardless of where you are creatively, you’ve probably experienced a certain amount of anxiety in your life. Anxiety can manifest in different ways. For example, Grammy Award–winning singer-songwriter Carly Simon has suffered for years from stage fright so debilitating that she once reportedly collapsed in front of 10,000 fans at a concert in the 1980s. She went on to perform publicly, but it’s a safe assumption that her anxiety has limited her public appearances. Your own nervousness may have revolved around a creative effort or around something unrelated, such as health. However, like all creative blocks, anxiety is only a block if you don’t know how to manage it.

INSPIRATIONAL INSIGHT

“In its negative aspect anxiety blocks the artist, causes her to limit her scope or create second-rate work, and more. In its so-to-speak positive aspect it is like the itching that accompanies the healing of a wound: horribly uncomfortable, but proof that creativity is happening.”

—Eric Maisel

Again, recognition is key. Noticing that you are experiencing anxiety will allow you to take the first step in quieting your concerns. Delve into the root of your worries and think about how you have dealt with them before. Does your anxiety revolve around a specific creative task or does it pervade your entire existence? There’s a key difference, and knowing the answer to this will help you move through it so your creativity is not threatened as a result. In the end, Maisel believes anxiety is an expected part of the creation process and that you must actually invite it in. So if anxiety is your block, you goal shouldn’t be to completely eliminate it; you should work toward creating in spite of it.

The Comparison Game

One of the most deadly games you can play in thwarting your creativity is when you start comparing yourself to others. There are several ways in which this can work.

The first way is in observing another person’s creativity and thinking that you couldn’t possibly attain their level of achievement. When you compare yourself to others and are feeling “less than,” it’s easy to forget that you have talents of your own and may have been recognized for them. Comparing yourself to someone who has less skill or experience also can lead to damaging outcomes. You may develop a false sense of security and then get knocked down when you enter the comparison game again and encounter someone you perceive is better than you are. It doesn’t matter if you’re comparing yourself to those you feel are “more than” or “less than”—either way, this becomes a diversion and takes you away from confidently filling your own creative space.

Another part of the game is being critical of those who are actually out there creating. You may go to an art show and view an artist’s work and think, “Well, that’s not very creative. I could do better than that.” And you may be right. You then realize the difference is that person had the courage to create and share her work and you’re still feeling stuck and not doing anything to further your creativity. If you find you are comparing yourself to others through judgment, take note. It’s just another way to prevent you from exercising your creativity.

The truth is, there are a variety of skill levels. If you continue to compare yourself to others, you will remain blocked, either in the sense of not creating at all or not feeling good about what you are creating. So while it’s a common practice to look at what others in your field are doing, observing and taking notes on their technique or their tools is different than comparing. If you can learn from them or be inspired by them, that’s positive. It’s when you monitor another person’s talents, weigh hers against your own perceived abilities, and use that as the decisive measure of your abilities that you become the pawn in this game. Remember, opt for observing over comparing. You don’t have to be at the level of Ludwig van Beethoven or Meryl Streep to appreciate your own creative talents!

CREATIVITY COMPASS

During a creativity coaching session with my client Austin, he expressed how inadequate he felt as a guitarist while watching other musicians perform. “They make it look so effortless as their fingers run up and down the fret board,” he said. “Then I think to myself, ‘Why bother? I’ll never be that good.’” It took some time to work through his doubts, but eventually he got to a place where he remembered that many of his fans have approached him after a performance and complimented him on his singing and songwriting talents. He also realized that comparing himself to others only diminished his creativity.

The Past Hasn’t Passed

In my experience of facilitating creativity classes with small groups, there are always a few people who have allowed themselves to be stuck for years because they remember a parent, teacher, classmate, or friend who once told them they weren’t creative or criticized their work in some way. Take Nathaniel, who completed what he felt was a work of art at the vulnerable age of 8 and couldn’t wait to show his mother, who said, “Oh honey, that’s a nice try, but you’re not the artist in the family. Your brother is.” From that moment on, Nathaniel stopped creating, until decades later, when he worked through this memory.

Can you recall a time in your life when your creative spirit was dampened because of a discouraging or derogatory comment that someone made to you about something you created? Search your memory bank to see if you are still carrying around any negative childhood experiences. Next, check in to see if more recent memories are clogging your creativity. In the end, you’ll find it’s not the actual memory of what happened; it’s your judgment of that memory that has blocked you creatively. Your history doesn’t have to be part of your creative biography. The sooner you can let those harmful memories go, the sooner you will emerge from the creativity closet!

Critic’s Corner

Ah, yes, the critic’s corner. This block has to do with fear based on criticism. It is comprised of both the outer critic and the inner critic. Let’s start with the outer critic, who is good at judging others’ creativity output even though she may not have the first clue about the particular project or subject. Sometimes the outer critic comes disguised as a friend. You would think the “jealous” sign on her forehead would give her away, yet somehow you fail to see it and you let her criticism bother you. Maybe someone else then comes along and tries to advise you how you could have handled your creative project differently. The feelings of disapproval are enough to shut you down.

Hearing constructive criticism from a qualified person is another matter altogether, but negative feedback can still be hard to hear, especially if you’re new to creating. The question for you to answer is whether you have allowed criticism from others to stop you or slow you down from creating.

The other part of the critic’s corner is the inner critic, or that familiar place that resides inside of you where you do everything from censoring to chiding yourself. How many times have you condemned yourself for not living up to your own expectations or someone else’s? While “condemn” may be too strong of a word for you (or it may fit what you do to yourself perfectly), at the very least, you’ve probably figuratively slapped yourself on the wrist thinking you should have known better and done better. The inner critic repeats the old adage, “Woulda, coulda, shoulda,” using 20/20 hindsight to tell you what you accomplished wasn’t correct or good enough.

However, telling yourself “I should have” after the fact doesn’t help you unless you can take what you’ve learned from the experience and apply it to your next effort. You must learn to recognize the difference between beating yourself up and recognizing the hidden jewels in the mine that you just unearthed in order to quiet that inner critic.

CREATIVITY COMPASS

I remember submitting one of the most heartfelt songs I had ever written to an online radio station. I went into it feeling anxious because the song had such personal meaning to me. When I found out the song had not been accepted, I reviewed the reasons. One was simply a personal opinion and the other had to do with recording quality. I knew I could correct the latter issue, but there was nothing I could do about this person’s opinion. Initially, this held me back, but ultimately I did not allow that experience to keep me from continuing to write highly personal songs and sharing them with others.

Getting Beyond the Negative Voices in Your Head

As you can see from the different creative blocks I’ve presented, a lot of what keeps people stagnated is contained within their own heads. While you may have one voice telling you that you’re good enough, at the same time, another voice may be discouraging you by saying, “That’s great, but you’re too busy to take on that creative project.” There are two ways you may develop your negative thoughts:

Self-imposed: This is when you trick your mind into thinking negative thoughts that lead you astray because they are based on assumptions that hold no truth. You continue to repeat the same old story in your head, and possibly aloud to others, and it becomes an illusion. An example of this is Mary and Michelle. Their parents praised Mary for being smart and Michelle for being pretty. They never told Michelle that she wasn’t smart, but she made an assumption that she couldn’t be both pretty and smart. That negative thought became her self-imposed illusion, and the voice in her head continues to tell her “I may be pretty but I’m not smart enough to do that.”

Influenced by others: This is when you develop negative thoughts as a result of what other people from your past have said to you or taught you, such as parents, siblings, teachers, well-meaning (or not so well-meaning) friends, or childhood bullies. Take the example of Jed, who was brought up in a family where only his mom and sisters spent time in the kitchen cooking and baking while his father taught him how to repair cars. Jed formed a perception that only girls cook and he dismissed his secret dream of becoming a chef. The voice in his head says “It doesn’t matter if you want to be a chef. Girls belong in the kitchen. Not you!” Perceptions also can form based on society’s views.

Do you recognize these types of voices? When you hear them, how much credibility do you give them? You may not always know if your thoughts were solely self-imposed or influenced by others because it’s impossible to know what may be hidden in your subconscious mind. In fact, it’s possible the negative voices come from a combination of the two. To start getting beyond these illusions and perceptions, I think it’s important to understand how deeply rooted they are and then trust in yourself and get help from others, if necessary, in order to banish those thoughts.

Deep Rooted or Temporary?

Which of the creative blocks were most relevant to you? Could you relate to more than one? Can you name other reasons that were not discussed here that are preventing you from creating? Exploring the different areas is important, as is determining if your challenges are deep rooted or temporary. Deep rooted means you’ve gone beyond the negative voice in your head into more serious issues that include phobias, panic attacks, or feeling physically ill whenever you think about a particular endeavor, such as public speaking. Or your block may date back to your childhood and you notice certain memories trigger a strong sensation, either emotionally or physically, that is hard to overcome. Working through a more profound block may require the services of a therapist or a professional who is trained in assisting with clearing the subconscious mind.

A temporary block is more situational and feels lighter, more fleeting, and easier to work through. When a creative opportunity is presented to you, you may initially feel you’re not capable, you are too stressed, or you don’t have enough time. The thought may overwhelm you, but eventually you’re able to work through those feelings and move forward. It’s common for a fear to pop up here and there. It’s also not unusual to procrastinate at times. It’s when any of these barriers keeps you permanently locked in the creativity closet that it’s time to take a serious look.

I Admit It When I’m Right!

I hope that line brought a smile to your face. It’s a statement that my brother-in-law, Ed, likes to say, and it usually strikes people as funny because they’re expecting him to say “I admit it when I’m wrong!” This small bit of humor makes the point that you do not have to buy into other people’s beliefs about you or the self-imposed illusions that have plagued you. You know what’s right for you—now admit it. And smile when you say that!

There are several ways to start ridding yourself of negative voices and getting more of a sense of what’s right for you. Expect to go through a trial-and-error process as you work through your blocks and engage in new and different creative activities. Don’t automatically cast away a project that doesn’t go smoothly. Frustration may enter into the picture, especially if you’re learning something new. If you can work through that, you may feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment once you do. If your creative endeavor is giving you energy rather than taking it away from you and no block emerges (or if one does, you quickly work through it), you’ll likely hear a positive voice whisper in your ear. In the end, the most important thing you can do to dismiss those negative thoughts is to trust yourself.

INSPIRATIONAL INSIGHT

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great ones make you feel that you, too, can become great.”

—Mark Twain

The Least You Need to Know

• Identifying and getting to the root of your barriers is the first step to breaking through them. They may be temporary or deep rooted.
• Beware of any defensive reactions when looking at your blocks. You may not want to admit to yourself that you haven’t overcome a particular challenge, yet getting to the bottom of it may be the key to getting you to move forward.
• Appreciate where you are with your creative efforts presently without comparing your level of skill, energy, and talents to others.
• Don’t be surprised if a block you dealt with in the past surfaces again later. That’s a normal part of the creative process. Notice it and deal with it as quickly as possible to continue moving forward.