How do I start making things?

Ron Responds #6

QI have creative urges, but often end up feeling blah and wasting hours scrolling social media instead of making stuff. How can I convert my unfulfilled desire into productive action?

— Will

RWhen I was a young kid, I never brushed my teeth. I don’t know why, but I just didn’t brush my teeth. I knew the health risks. I knew that brushing my teeth would make me feel better. I knew that people would be more prone towards liking me if I brushed my teeth. But I just didn’t. Eventually, I decided that I needed to get into the habit of brushing my teeth and so I actively made a decision to at least do it once a day. Eventually, I was brushing my teeth in the morning and before bed, without even a thought.

I’m gross! But, the point is that getting into the habit expressing yourself creatively requires two things: desire and discipline. First of all, you have to want to make something. It seems like you’re there already. The second is actually sitting yourself down to do it.

Sometimes that’s easy. Usually it’s easiest when you’re a teenager or someone without kids, a job, or any pressing responsibilities. Once you have responsibilities though, you need to decide where creating things fits into your life.

If you find yourself constantly scrolling through social media, it could be the time to decide that for a set hour every day, you simply turn off your phone and make something. It doesn’t have to be anything good. It could be a doodle, or a meal, or a strange sculpture made of popsicle sticks. Just make something. Eventually, after you fuck around enough, maybe something will be just compelling enough that you’ll want to spend some time focussing on it.

The point is, that you don’t need to make your next masterpiece. Make something, no matter how small or silly. It will be great in its own way, or at the very least lead you towards something that you’ll feel is worth spending your time on.

If you still can’t make space to make something, it could be the time to try to find some friends or a class where you commit to going somewhere and making something together (or at least in the same room). If you want to do more programming, a hackathon could be great. If you want to make music, maybe go to an open mic night. If you want to draw more frequently, maybe take a class.

Just find some way to commit to whatever it is that you want to make, and give yourself the space to do it. You’ll be great.

-Ron

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