At Crafty Cottage

Creative Anxiety

Sometimes, the most challenging part about being creative and making something new isn’t actually creating. It’s getting out of your own way so you can see it through to completion.

Whether you’re working on an artistic project, a business idea, or a personal project, there are some common challenges that arise as you get started. The more ideas you have, the more likely it is that you’ll experience some combination of these difficulties. If you work hard to make sure that every idea has value and potential, these setbacks will be less frequent and more productive steps in the creation process.

Sounds like a self-fulfilling prophecy? Maybe not, but having trouble maintaining focus and motivation can be just as scary as starting from scratch.

With that in mind, here are five simple ways to combat creative anxiety while still moving forward:

1- Define your problem(s) and scope with creative anxiety

If you’re struggling to make a compelling case (to yourself) for your idea, you may have a hard time defining what your idea is and/or what problems you can solve with it.

Begin by writing out the problem you hope to solve and then think about what your primary strategy will be in solving it. Once you’ve come up with a list of problems you believe you can solve, it’s time to break them down into smaller problems you can tackle more effectively.

If your idea addresses a specific problem that’s currently facing people, you’ll have an easier time creating a compelling case for it. Once you’ve identified what problems your product or service solves and how it could help, it’s time to break them down into even smaller problems you can tackle more effectively.

2- Break the deadlock of creative anxiety

One of the best ways to overcome creativity anxiety is to break down any deadlock that’s preventing you from moving forward. Your initial idea might be completely brilliant, but if no one is going to buy it because there’s no market for it, then it has no value. If you can prevent that kind of structural damage from happening, then you’ll be well on your way to creating a hit.

Fortunately, it’s super easy to break down any deadlock you come across. Start with addressing the “why” behind the problem or the “how” behind your solution. Why is this important? How could this benefit people? Why does this matter? Why is it creatively challenging to create?

If you can break down these larger “whys” into smaller “hows,” you’ll be well on your way to overcoming your creative block. Once you’ve addressed the “why” behind the problem or the “how” behind your solution, you can turn your attention to the “when” and the “where,” and finally “how and “who.”

3- Set actionable creative goals to overcome creative anxiety

The best way to combat creative blocks is to set realistic and actionable goals. Start small and work your way up.

Instead of dreaming about all the great ideas you want to come to fruition, set smaller goals that you can accomplish each day. You’ll be surprised how quickly the “why” behind your ideas start to make sense to you when you see them through the eyes of your actions.

If you want to create a new logo, make an outline of the logo, brainstorm different ideas for the existing logo, and then create a new logo. Not only will this get your creative juices flowin’, but it’ll also help you to see the logo in a new way and imagine different variations you might like to see.

4- Play to your creative strengths

Often, the best way to overcome creative blocks is to play to your strengths.

If you’re struggling with a particular technique or have a stubborn idea that won’t budge, work on breaking it down into smaller steps and repeating the process until you can move past it. If repetition, isn’t very fun for you, try working on each step of the process aspect of your problem so you can see what that looks like from the inside out.

5- Change your habits

As you grow in experience, you’ll start to notice a pattern in the things you do. It may be that you naturally like to write in the morning, that you like to doodle while you work, or that you especially like to work when you’re feeling most creative.

Whatever your favorite creative outlet, try to make an effort to incorporate it into your daily routine.

You may find that you’re more productive when you’re actively thinking about your idea rather than doing other things.

As you can see, overcoming creative anxiety is no easy task. It takes self-discipline and perseverance, but with a little bit of work (and a little bit of luck), you can overcome these challenges and make your idea a reality.

Creative Anxiety