Creativity: Face the Fear
Photo by Jennie Razumnaya on Unsplash
Confession time: I’m afraid of a lot of things. I mean, a lot of things.
I’m afraid of success, and I’m afraid of failure.
I’m afraid of being known, and I’m afraid of being misunderstood.
I’m afraid of being accepted, and I’m afraid of being rejected.
It’s so easy to let fear win. We can choose to be so afraid of what might or might not happen that we never step out and try anything.
I lived in that space for years. I talked about writing often, but talk was all I did. I had a blog that I posted on infrequently, and zero people were following. But one day, I decided to actually start writing instead of just talking about it all the time.
Then, a few years later, I found myself in that same familiar place of inactivity and fear. I talked about writing books all the time, but ended up with 12 half-finished novels. I’d flit from new idea to new idea because, if I didn’t finish anything, I wouldn’t be rejected. If the draft stayed a draft, then it couldn’t ever be labeled as a “failure” because it was never finished. But, again, one day, I just got sick of talking about these dreams without ever trying. I got sick of letting fear win.
I had to make the determination that I was going to create in spite of overwhelming fear. I decided that even if I failed (which I have many times along the way), it would be worth it. Trying is better than staying on the sidelines. Though the sidelines are safer, nothing is really accomplished there.
Being creative requires courage, tenacity, and the drive to get up when you’ve stumbled, whether you’re creating new processes at your job, painting a mural, selling your home, coordinating an event, decorating a wedding, singing a solo, or doing any other creative thing.
Fear will always tell us to stop, but we can develop a will that’s strong enough to continue in the face of frightening or unknown circumstances.
Reflection
What are you afraid of?
How has fear kept you from creating?
I’ve learned that knowing my fears is half the battle. Once you’ve identified that fear that’s standing in your way, you can address it square on and make the choice to move forward.
