The Creative Challenge

[caption id=”attachment_187" align=”alignleft” width=”300"]

Photo by Nick Saltmarsh http://bit.ly/1kkhqnE
Licensed Attribution http://bit.ly/18p3uOE[/caption]

Writing isn’t easy. It’s not like there’s anything magical about it, all you have to do is sit down and start writing. But it’s not the actual act of writing that is difficult. It’s the creative process.

Creating something new, from nothing, is an incredibly difficult prospect. Whether you’re a painter, a writer, or an entrepreneur, bringing something into existence that didn’t exist before, especially on a consistent basis, is incredibly challenging.

How do we do it?

That’s the question as I was pondering as I sat down to write this post. Up to this point I’ve been overflowing with ideas and enthusiasm. I’ve had more ideas than I could keep track of at times, and have always looked forward to my times of writing with anticipation.

Anticipation is not what I felt this morning, it was more like dread. I had no clue what I was going to write about.

Thankfully, I recently read Do The Work, by Stephen Pressfield, and I recognized that thought as what he calls Resistance. I’m past the honeymoon stage with writing for this blog, now it’s time for me to roll up my sleeves and do the work.

Starting something new always comes with excitement and good feelings. It’s continuing when those feelings wear off that’s the challenge. Anyone can start a project, only those with commitment can follow through to the finish.

In our world of noise and instant gratification, it is the ones who are willing quiet themselves and endure through challenges that are the ones who create. The challenge of creativity is not a matter of imagination, intuition, or vision (though these all play a role) as much as it is a matter of resolve.

What’s your dream? What do you want to create? Are you willing to pursue it even when the glamor wears off?