You Are Creative: Excuses

(You are Creative: Part 1 can be found here.)

When we say or think or feel "I'm not creative," what do we truly mean?

I believe there's as many answers to that question as there are individuals in the world multiplied by the number of minutes in a day. Let's see, that's roughly 7.6 billion X 1,440 which comes in at just shy of 11 trillion. 

ELEVEN TRILLION excuses to justify not making stuff. 

Because what is the sentiment, "I'm not creative," but an airing of feelings of inadequacy. We feel like we don't measure up. We don't measure up so we don't even try. Somewhere in my brain I know this is human nature and I do succumb to this rationalization myself more often than I would like, but I truly, deep, deep down believe that it is utter horseshit. And, honestly, I don't have much patience for it. In myself especially, but also in others. Why continually shoot ourselves ourselves in the foot? We are smarter than this. I know we are.

Because, seriously, what is there to measure up to? Nothing! No one is paying any attention. The only person sitting in judgment of your creative efforts is you. Wow. That one just snuck up on me. I think it bears repeating:
The only person sitting in judgment of your creative efforts is you.

Think back to your early drawings as a kid. Picture yourself in preschool or Kindergarten. Did you not pick up a crayon because you thought your drawing couldn't possibly measure up to the kid across the table from you? Did you stop drawing because your first figure was crooked, out of proportion, and featured skin tones never seen in nature? Did you judge your drawings as bad or judge yourself as an inadequate artist? Did your teacher or parents judge your efforts lacking? Of course not. Your drawings were wonderful simply because you made them. You allowed your creative impulse free reign to make marks on paper with crayon. And that is wonderful, marvelous, and magic.

I realize the statement The only person sitting in judgment of your creative efforts is you may sound disingenuous in our digital age. With the barrage of images of pristine creations all over the web how can I believe that no one is paying attention and no one other than ourselves are sitting in judgement of our work? First is the easy one; I don't need to put images of my work on the web to be seen or judged by strangers. That simple. If fear of the judgement of others is deterring my creativity, I simply don't have put my work out there to be judged. Yeah, there's way more to this one, but for now, avoidance gets the job done. Second, I do not need to compare myself or my efforts to professionals who have been honing their particular skill sets for decades.

Decidedly harder to accomplish that not sharing, yet not comparing is key. By comparing my work to others, I'm back to judging myself. Tricky, I know. I would never suggest we stop looking at the work of others. We look at other work all the time - in museum, in books, online - for nourishment, for inspiration, for lessons. But comparing our work to others and judging ourselves inadequate or "not creative" is detrimental, deadening even. Give free reign to the creative impulse rather than stifle it with misplaced judgement.

See, this is really just me giving myself a stern talking to. Comparing my clumsy work to a smorgasbord of amazing techniques, styles, and truly awesome pieces is what I'm struggling with now as I undertake doll making. I have no idea what I'm doing or how to do it. Which isn't a complaint, really. Actually, it's quite freeing to not know any "rules" (back to that Kindergarten drawing again), but it is slow going. Which is also not a complaint. I'm not running a race. So how 'bout I get back at then, eh?

PS The drawings are from All About Me, a book I (and every other kid) made in Kindergarten. The teacher asked the questions and wrote down my answers, then I illustrated the text. See that last one? My secret hiding place? Story about that one can be found here.