What’s fear got to do with it?
How emotions play into creative work
Sometimes, when I’m on a call with a potential client, I get the distinct impression that they believe our conversation is just an opportunity for them to evaluate me. But of course, this is not a one-way mirror—it’s a window. And I’m looking back. They are free to ask me anything they’d like. I’ll be evaluating their questions just as much as they’re evaluating my answers.
I’ve learned a lot from these conversations over the last ten years. At their best, they’re a chance for me to admire the passion of people who have a vision and who work with incredible diligence to bring it to life. I’ve had more than my fair share of conversations that truly resonated, with people who are smart and funny and truly value creative work. And I’ve been lucky to work with many of them, to create brands that rise above the noise.
For every ideal project, there are half a dozen or more that I know from the outset will never work. I’ve spent quite a bit of time trying to understand where that intuition comes from—an ongoing attempt to pinpoint it exactly. This is hard to do. As with any relationship, chemistry is fickle in creative partnerships.
One thing I’ve noticed, that I can say for certain is this: projects that don’t go well tend to have one thing in common. There is an elephant in that room. And that elephant is an emotion.
Here’s the thing: Fear is a perfectly natural emotional response to the human experience. There’s a reason our brains are hardwired to have this response—fear plays a vital role in our survival. But let’s zoom out for a second, because we are not dealing with life and death stakes.
Sure, you want your company or product to be successful. You want to make sure you end up with a name and brand that are different, that help you stand out and reach the people that matter to you. This may seem like a life or death situation—you know, the life or death of your brand. So, I can empathize with the activation of your amygdalae.
But here’s the real paradox: being afraid that your project will not go well is probably the reason your project won’t go well. This fear is often, more or less, a fear of the unknown.
For example, worrying that you won’t be able to get a domain name for your brand will likely mean that you focus on the domain name above all else—including things that matter much more, like having a brand name that actually means something to somebody. By overvaluing the URL you are likely going to be setting unrealistic expectations. Another example would be what we call The Eureka! Moment. Assuming that you’ll know it when you see it is a great way to not think critically or constructively about how your brand can actually work for you. If you’re worried that the lightbulb is never going to go off, I can guarantee you that it never will.
It’s sort of like target fixation. You become so focused on your feared outcome that you inadvertently increase your risk of that very thing happening. Emotions change our perceptions, making fear of failure a kind of sabotage in any creative project.
It’s okay to be afraid. But if you plan on getting anywhere, you also need to let that fear go. Any leap requires a belief that you will land on solid ground.
