We’ve had a running poll on our home page for a month or so now asking which element of creative rhythm (time, energy, stimulus, focus, relationships) is the most challenging. Not surprisingly, the top two responses were focus and time. This is consistent with what I often hear from artists who want to create something but (a) can’t decide what to start on or (b) can’t seem to find the time to get going.
The reality of the matter is that if something is important to you, you will find time for it. If you really want to watch something on TV, you will find a way to make it happen. If you really want to attend an event, you will move things around until you are able to. If your manager says that you’re going to have to stay a little late, you will adjust your life accordingly.
So if we can make time for all of these things with little pain, why is it so difficult to find the time to create?
I believe that the biggest issue is not time, it’s fear. We will do anything and everything we can to fill our time with random activity to avoid having to engage creatively. Often this is because we’re afraid that we won’t be able to realize our creative vision, or we aren’t confident that we can finish what we start, or we are uncertain that our idea is the “right” idea. We feel the weight of this fear and it prevents us from taking the first step.
In his book The War of Art, Steven Pressfield calls this “resistance” and offers advice for combatting it. Primarily, Steven says that the most important thing we can do is simply get up each day and choose to engage. To make. To do something. We don’t have to finish it, we just have to work on it.
How are you doing on your “unnecessary” creating? Are you making things for the joy of it or are you limited to only creating things that someone is paying you for?
If you’d like to create “unnecessarily” on a more regular basis, here are a few thoughts:
1. Set aside a time each day for creating. You can do anything you want during this time, but it has to be something that you’re doing by choice not by virtue of your job. If you want to write a novel, you can start by thinking about characters, outlining the book, or just jumping into writing. The important thing is that you have your time set aside and it is non-negotiable. Make an appointment with yourself and keep it.
2. Keep a project board. This is a whiteboard or a list of all of the creative projects you’d like to tackle. They can be big or small projects, but they should be something that you really want to do, not things you feel like you have to do. Once you’ve established your project board you can start checking off projects during your unnecessary creating time.
3. Cut yourself some slack. Unnecessary creating is about exploration and fun. Even though it will be a lot of work, it should be something that you enjoy engaging in. This is where you practice your craft and explore new ways of expressing yourself.
Nothing ever got made by someone sitting around and wishing it into existence. Carve out some time and get to work!
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