Fear is an Assassin
What you can do when fear assassinates your creativity.
The renowned motivational speaker Les Brown stated,
“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that we never fulfilled, the books that we never written, the songs that we never sung, the inventions that we never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry out their dream.”
I have an unhealthy relationship with procrastination. Like many of you, procrastination bullies me through fear. After reflecting on why I struggled with following through with creative ideas; I realized I was procrastinating out of fear. That was a hard pill to swallow because I always considered myself to be a courageous person. I would enthusiastically volunteer to be someone else’s cheerleader when they needed the motivation to overcome angst. Unfortunately, the truth was evident. My procrastination was rooted in fear, and fear was assassinating my creative expression.
The fear-based negative thoughts that would spiral in my mind:
My writing isn’t compelling. Who is going to care about what I have to say?
As a writer and creator, you care about what you have to say, and that is enough. Readers will have their opinions, but you have the capability to inspire someone with your words. With this in mind, you have the courage to show up and express your creativity to the world.
Someone else has already written about a similar topic, and readers do not want to read about it again.
It has been said that “everything is a remix”. There is actually a documentary with the exact same title by, Kirby Ferguson. Honestly, there is not an enormous amount of original creative content in existence. However, readers will experience your significant writing. They will get a taste of your creative “sauce”. A topic or idea has yet to be written with your unique authenticity.
I just don’t have the self-discipline to write and create consistently.
Create a habit of your writing or another creative expression by visualizing how accomplished you will feel after your content is completed. Visualize the sense of achievement, and use that as motivation to dedicate time to work on your craft. Perceive your creative content as self-fulfilling instead of something to check off a “to-do” list. If you are unable to start writing everyday, try to scaffold your writing. Show up consistently, and write as much as possible each day. This will assist in building your momentum to form a writing habit. Most importantly, remember your why, and intention for writing and creating.
Consequently, being a passenger on the fear cycle becomes exhausting, and that energy could have been utilized for creativity. So acknowledge the fear and release it. Lean in to what makes you come alive, and spotlight the way you want to express yourself. Instead of burying your creative dreams because of fear, leave behind a fortune of what only you can cultivate and share.
