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Believe it or not, according to some psychologists, fear is the biggest creative block.

So how do you know your fear is holding you back? 

If you are worried about what other people will think of your new endeavors, or you have negative self-talk, or you like keeping yourself busy, or you keep turning to food as a distraction, then you probably have some fear that is holding you back.

Remember, the thing you feared the most is usually the thing that will bring you the biggest breakthrough. In your subconscious mind, you know you are opening a new door. And the unknown landscape triggers your fear. 

How can you kill the fear so your creativity can thrive? 

1: If you fear failure, just do it. Stop looking for excuses or distractions. Just pull out your paints or notebook, start to paint, and write. Even if you have a failed painting or a post, you will discard it later. At least you defeated your fear. 

No one has more experience with failure than Thomas Edison. He literally failed a thousand times before he invented a lightbulb that succeeded. His famous quote is: I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. 

2: Find a creative community. The road to creativity could be lonely if you do it alone, without moral support to lift you. Not everyone, even your family members, is guaranteed to understand you. And that will cause great fear. 

The Bible teaches us:” Iron sharpens irons.” There is so much truth in that.

So it’s vital to find some liked minded people to connect with. Local art associations and social media groups are all good solutions. ( If you haven’t yet, join my private Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1437940910025060

3: Creativity and unknown territory are like two peas in a pod. Every time you create, it will always lead you to try something new. Be it a new style, palette, theme, or technique. It’s exciting and refreshing. But unknown territory sometimes also leads to fear. 

Reflecting and meditating on your purpose as a soulful being will greatly help with that fear. We are created to create. If you truly feel deep in your heart that you are called to be an artist, then the desire to create will be greater than the fear of the unknown. 

4: Sometimes, people fear that they are not creative enough. Start by widening the definition of creativity. If you can make a pancake look like a monkey for your kids, that’s creativity!

A good exercise to find inspiration is to widen your source of reference. If you do painting, listening to music sometimes will bring you more inspiration than just looking at what other painters are doing.  If you write non-fictional works, try reading books in different genres, like biographies. Be mindful, and be free-spirited!

5: Many people feel that they are not qualified. They didn’t have a formal education in the creative profession they desired. 

My advice is—self-education. With the explosion of technology, for the first time in history you can find almost anything you want to learn on the internet. It’s cheap, easy, and right at your fingertips! So come on, my creative friends, let’s march on this journey with hope and joy together!

Here are some of Thomas Edison’s’s famous quotes: https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/3091287.Thomas_A_Edison

Check out my post about setting your creative goals here:  https://yingmclane.com/five-tips-for-setting-your-creative-goals-for-2023/

Cheering you on!

Ying