How to be miserable as a creative
By: Jorien Kleine Deters
Tags: Creative Block, Mindset, Inspiration, Creative Process, Vulnerability

“There is nothing more vulnerable as creativity…It’s not about winning, it’s not about losing, it’s about showing up and being seen.” - Brené Brown

In the past months and years I thought a lot about how I could, in the first place, help myself to make more impact with my creative talents. When I set the intention to finally cultivate my own creative potential, I thought I had to educate myself on the ‘how and what’ of building a creative career. I went to business events for artists, I invested all of the money I had in supplies and materials, in books on creative entrepreneurship and the technical side of art, even in an art studio so I would finally have space and a reason to create.

Well…..*cricket noises*….nothing really changed.

It’s not about ‘how and what’

It’s very tempting to go straight to the how and what. But I actually got more and more blocked creatively. As a result of that period, I had so many questions: Why is it that I know what to do or how to get somewhere but I still cannot get myself to do it? What is that ‘thing’ that is keeping me in the same place of wishing and wanting over and over again?

Ask, and it’s given. Not long after that, I discovered the book that kind of changed my life. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron cracked me open to the understanding that art is a spiritual transaction. As creatives, we routinely practice a form of faith; moving toward a creative goal that shimmers in the distance — often visible to us, but invisible to those around us. And sometimes, with no idea how to get there.

And then another woman challenged my perspective on art and life in general. Dr. Brené Brown made me realize that creativity is one of the most courageous things in our existence:

“Art most likely resembles what it is like to be human. To be alive. To be imperfect. To have uncategorized feelings and emotions. To make or do things that don’t sometimes necessarily make sense. Art is all just perfectly imperfect.”

When we share our art/photography/writings we share who we are, our ideas, and our emotions. We risk not being accepted or appreciated. Being vulnerable and being visible like that is freaking scary. And with everything we do, we encounter obstacles. It takes a lot of resilience to step into the arena over and over again, knowing you are going to get hurt and in some way pick yourself up and dust yourself off.

The things that stand in our way

I did a little research myself and asked other creatives on my Instagram and my free course members the question ‘what is your biggest challenge as a creative?’ I expected a lot of answers that had to do with marketing or sales or business, but most of them where mindset-based:

- getting out of my own way

- being able to create when life happens

- finding and keeping inspiration

- finding the time and space

- to finally be satisfied with what I make

- dealing with comparison and rivalry

- be able to commit but don’t beat myself up at the same time

So as I was helping myself the last few years it eventually became my mission to help other creatives too. Before I was writing this, the fact that I didn’t have quick fixes or five simple steps for you to become rich, successful, and happy as a creative was actually affecting my professional self-esteem. But now I can see how everything on my path was pointing me to the things that stand in the way of our creative potential.

The Artist’s Way and the books and talks (this one’s amazing!) of Brené Brown on my path actually helped me to transform my creative blocks caused by fear, jealousy, shame into positive beliefs of safety, power, compassion and hope.

And I think the time for you couldn’t have been better to finally face the things that stand in your way.