The reasons we avoid being creative are numerous of course, and often unique to the individual. But there are three reasons why the majority of people just aren’t creative, or avoid trying it.
1: Fear of failure
In modern society we have developed a massive reliance on predictability. It permeates every aspect of our lives from transportation (bus schedules) to television schedules to standardized testing in education to delivery dates for babies. People spend billions trying to ensure that the outcome of everything is predictable and reliable. In some cases this has a good purpose, but we are letting this roll over into our creative arena also. When we write, we aren’t all going to produce J.K. Rowling-esque work the first time, or even the thirteenth time. When we paint with oils, it’s not going to be Michelangelo or Da Vinci or Van Gogh the first time, or even the two hundredth time, because we aren’t them, we are us. Our need as humans to have a predictable outcome has led to a profusion of ‘paint nights’ where each step of a process is broken down for participants. I have been to several, and EVERY SINGLE time I hear the large portion of painters say things like “well at least yours is straighter than mine’ or ‘your colours are so much brighter’. This is an ingrained societal behaviour, that we must achieve greater than we do when we try something. We beat ourselves up when it isn’t as good as what we imagined we would produce. As a creative we both deal with this daily. In some areas we have far more confidence (Jess is a flower designer, dress maker, knitter. Emily is a writer, a painter and a singer.) When we venture into other arenas we are afraid of not getting it right the same as any other person, but we are also able to see that the experience will teach us something. And so we go for it. Most of the time- we probably aren’t likely to try modern dance any time soon.
2: Fear of judgement
Linked to the fear of failure is our western fear of what others will think. How we are measured on the social yardstick can be a real and terrifying experience, or alternatively can be a totally imagined measurement that turns out to not exist. Both are true. Social media has turned some people into the ‘judges of life’, who troll the internet making nasty comments and bullying others for their lifestyle, choices or way of living. Young people in particular suffer here; why post images of your work (writing, acting, singing, making, painting, fashion, design or engineering) if the internet is going to tear you apart. It’s really sad, and one of the things we hope here at Clougazing Creatives to change. To create a community of supportive makers and doers so that young people will feel safe enough to be the world changers that they are.
The other reality is that we can also imagine this judgement. Because we have seen it acted out on others, we may fear that our creativity will be judged by a standard that we create in our head. Cloud gazer Emily lived this for many years about her singing. Only about ten years ago did she finally take the leap and start singing in a church choir (group singing feels safer).
If we think that others will not like our work, we are less likely to speak up or show it. Have an idea for helping prevent climate change? Maybe someone has already done it, maybe it’s too small to make a difference, maybe it’s too expensive, maybe it won’t actually make a change, maybe people will laugh, maybe people will say I’m stupid, maybe, maybe, maybe. See how it goes? The courage to be creative is your biggest gift- let’s change the world together.
3: Attachment to outcome
This one is closely related to the other two- with a personal edge. When we have an image in our head of what our creativity will produce, when it doesn’t achieve the vision, we become discouraged. A community of creators to support you can be vital. Even ONE person to cheer you on can make a difference here, and yes, sometimes that person is you. Sometimes you are the only one who can really see the future in a project, and it may take a long time to get there.
Whether writing a proposal for a new product, pitching a business idea (entrepreneurs fall into the ‘supercreator’ group), painting, designing a dress or planting a new flower bed it matters that you see the positive and accept the negative instead of deeming any project an utter failure. And this takes practice. Like meditation or yoga, creators can practice trying and failing. Just ask Simone Giertz, a swedish inventor and internet star who purposely designs things to fail. It can be a very cathartic experience, and is one that children can be really good at in the right environments. The experience of creating and being okay with failing is like playing. When children have a set of open-ended materials in front of them they will experiment with placement, colour, design or usage until they find something that works for them. Then they will repeat the experience over and over again, trying small changes until they have absorbed all the information their development needed from the play. Then they move on to other materials to learn again. Creative adults can do the same.
When collated together in this list one giant feature jumps out. We are afraid. The world is a scary place. Fear helps to keep us mostly safe by curtailing the number of risky ventures we try. Evolution gave us this trait to protect our bodies and ensure our future. But evolution also gave us the ability to explore alternatives. We have a brain that enables us to do risk assessments, to make explorations into territories that otherwise we would avoid. We CAN push past the fear to achieve new things, if we are willing to let go of the need for a perfect result, if we let go of our worry about how others will see us and if we can rise above the fear of something not working the first time. Because ultimately that’s what creativity is; getting up to try again.