We creative types are a wonderful group of individuals who come in all sizes, shapes, and artistic mediums. However, a universal pitfall of our species is a tendency to wait in earnest for inspiration to strike. The revolutionary idea more fantastic than anything we have produced before. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee of this life-changing inspiration every day, or even most days. It can become difficult to justify creating something when you don’t have the most solid idea, you won’t make money from a project, or you have school and a day job competing for your time.
Writing, performing, and video art are my creative mediums of choice. Every time I allow these things to be put on hold, my quality of life decreases dramatically. I start to feel depressed, and my drive to succeed is totally snuffed out. Frustratingly, the longer I stay away from creative work, the scarier the idea of going back becomes. It's a terrible cycle that usually ends in writer's block and multiple bowls of ice cream.
Artists are passionate people, but we do not have easy jobs. There are countless mistakes and challenges that come with what we do. Sometimes temptation is strong enough to hide behind your to-do list or another person’s expectations instead of facing the hard work, time commitment, and self-disclosure necessary in creativity.
My breakthrough came when I finally realized the permission I was seeking to be creative had to come from myself. For a long time, I sought permission through inspiration. I never worked on anything unless the idea hit me like a lightning bolt out of thin air. When that didn't feel right anymore, I started asking permission from the people around me: friends, teachers, mentors, but it was never their place to give it. This understanding came to me in pieces over time. There are four significant parts, and each took me a while to learn. Like anything in life, I am not a master yet, but I am working to get there.
Give yourself permission to let go of perfection.
There has to be a moment where you stop thinking, let go, and just get it done. I am a perfectionist, so this change came only with relentless practice. I would set a timer on my cell phone for thirty minutes, turn off my WiFi, and sit at my desk with a blank word document open. I knew I would be sitting in that spot for a while whether I was writing or not. Without other forms of entertainment or distraction, it became easier to start writing for fun. I stopped worrying about what the final draft was going to be, and started to remember how freeing it is to write down my own thoughts without judgment.
After several weeks of this, something fantastic happened. I lost the filter that always said, “Don’t keep writing this, because it’s terrible.” Of course it’s terrible, it’s a first draft. For me, perfectionism is an ongoing battle, but it's no longer something that keeps me from doing what I love.
Give yourself permission to devote time to your art.
Make time for it. Every. Single. Day. Even if it is just fifteen to twenty minutes, carving out that space is vital because it sets a boundary. You won't waste that chunk of time scrolling mindlessly through your phone when you could be taking stunning pictures or making something with your hands. And you will think twice about letting other commitments bulldoze their way over your sacred creative time.
There are hundreds of shouting voices in the form of homework, friends, family, Netflix, all trying to pull our valuable hours away from us. It will probably take some organization to fit everything into your schedule, and you may even have to turn down one of your less important commitments. In the end, it is all about your own priorities. Realize that you deserve to do the things that bring you the most joy.
Give yourself permission to have a history.
Be prepared to evolve creatively in the same way you do as a person growing up. You have to start from somewhere. Never doubt yourself or lose confidence if you view your old work and realize how sub-par it is. It’s called a creative process for a reason. Trust the process and keep going. Every artist could dig through a drawer, find a piece of their work from years past, and cringe. Possibly, that cringeworthy piece of work is from twenty minutes ago when things just refused to come together for you. No judgment - everyone has off days.
Basically, respect where you started from and realize how vital it was to where you are now. Creativity is constantly building on itself, and there really aren’t shortcuts or cheats to get to the end. A lot of art is a solitary practice, which means you have to make mistakes yourself in order to improve.
Give yourself permission to be vulnerable.
Sharing your work is a vulnerable, personal experience. As creators, we put a piece of ourselves into everything we make. It can feel uncomfortable to take that piece outside of ourselves and put it on display for the whole world. To me, it is one of the scariest parts of making anything.
The reality is that people cannot fall in love with something they have never seen. It’s up to you to be your own cheerleader. Share what you create using social media, show it to friends, and look for ways to showcase your work in your community. It is worth the risk, as you will know if you have ever received a valuable critique or made someone’s day better through sharing your art with them. Be proud of yourself for being brave enough to share something that means so much to you.
Creativity is a muscle. It needs time and experience to become stronger. These things can only come when you give yourself permission to own your identity as an artist and creator. Ignore the voices of doubt in your head, carve out some time, and create something because it makes you feel fulfilled.
These lessons don't come in one day, but the results make the process worth it. Painting twenty pictures in a hectic rush during your only free weekend of the foreseeable future is not the same as painting twenty pictures over the space of a year, doing a little every day, and building up your skill level as you go. You will have twenty canvases either way, but they will not be covered with the same thing.
