In the journey of creativity, hurdles and misconceptions can often sway us from our path. Let's explore three habits that can help navigate these challenges: Mindful Feedback Seeking, Curiosity Over Comparison, and fostering a Competitive Spirit over Competition.
Mindful Feedback Seeking
Feedback and critique have their place; they can foster growth, facilitate improvement, and offer new perspectives. However, too much feedback can sometimes become a roadblock rather than a guidepost. You may find yourself chasing approval or trying to cater to everyone's tastes, which can distract from developing your unique voice. The key is selective feedback seeking – being mindful about who you ask, share, and how you integrate their input into your work. Remember to create primarily for yourself and understand that success and fulfillment in your creative pursuits don't hinge on pleasing everyone. Remember that quote by John Lennon, "Trying to please all the people is impossible - if you did that, you'd end up in the middle with nobody liking you. You've just got to make the decision about what you think is your best, and do it."
Alternative Approach: Consider establishing a trusted 'feedback circle.' This circle can comprise a select few people whose opinions you value and trust. They can provide constructive criticism while respecting your creative vision. However, it's crucial to remember that even well-intended feedback is based on personal perspectives and capabilities. Ultimately, the decisions you make need to stem from your understanding of what's best for your work and vision. Your creative journey should be guided by your choices.
Curiosity Over Comparison
In the social media era, it feels like we're comparing our work and our trajectories to others'. It's easy to look at everyone's 'highlight reel' and feel like we're falling short. However, it's important to remember that comparison often leads to self-doubt, stifles creativity, and doesn't account for the unique journeys we each undertake. Everyone has had different head starts in life, and everyone progresses at their own pace.
Social media often blurs these realities, clumping together novices, seasoned individuals, and even people/companies that have been working on their craft for decades, and the funny thing is all levels are vying for the same attention from the same people on social media. Instead of comparing, try to approach others' work and success with curiosity. Use it as an opportunity to explore new ideas, techniques, or styles that inspire you and figure out how you can incorporate those elements into your work in a unique way.
Competitive Spirit Over Competition
In the creative world, competition can be more of a murky area than in sports, where victories and losses are clear-cut. In the arts, competition is not just about skills and talents; it can be wrapped up with commerce, politics, and other miscellaneous influences, making it more ambiguous. This ambiguity can lead competition to be a double-edged sword. It can drive innovation and improvement while creating stress and feelings of inadequacy. The key lies in shifting your perspective from external competition to an inner competitive spirit. A healthy competitive spirit acknowledges and respects others doing well in their chosen creative field, while maintaining a belief that you can do things too. Rather than fostering feelings of envy or inadequacy, seeing others succeed can spark a motivational fire within you - an urge to 'get your stuff together.' It's less about winning a fictitious trendy competition and more about feeling passionate and alive and pushing your creative boundaries.
Think about the great artistic movements of history. They thrived on a collective creative/competitive spirit, where the community encouraged individual growth and celebrated shared success. Today, we risk losing that spirit to the pressures of conforming to political correctness of trends or standards.
Alternative approach - Redefining Your Circle: It may be that building a 'Creative Collective' is not immediately feasible for everyone. This can be due to geographic isolation, lack of access to resources, or simply being in the early stages of your creative journey. However, it's important to remember that your circle isn't defined merely by people you can connect with physically or even virtually. Think of your 'circle' more broadly as the pool of influences that feed your creativity. These influences can come from books, art, nature, movies, music, personal experiences, and so on.
Redefining your circle is about consciously selecting those influences that resonate with you and inspire you to push your boundaries. It's about nurturing an inner environment of learning and growth, fueled by resources that stimulate your creativity, and not about competing with others. Remember, the essence of your creative journey lies in exploring and expanding your own creative horizons, not in chasing someone else's.
So, that's the heart of it - developing these healthy habits - mindful feedback seeking, curiosity over comparison, and fostering a competitive spirit over competition - can significantly enhance your creative journey. They encourage a healthier, more sustainable approach to creativity where your focus is on personal growth and self-expression rather than external approval or competition. Remember, every creative journey is unique, and your path is no exception. Honor it and enjoy every step along the way.
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