Combatting Creative Overwhelm
Lately I’ve been travelling quite a lot, and working even more. It feels like I’ve been brought in on a tonne of projects, though in reality, not too much has shifted. For some reason, however, I feel like there's more on my plate. And it’s caused me to stop doing what I do best, and got me stuck in the mud. Thinking about thinking instead of just thinking. In some instances, I’ve found myself so overwhelmed that I’ve been rooted to the spot, unable to push forward. And as I’ve been travelling, speaking to a whole lot of leaders the last few weeks, I have listened keenly to their successes and struggles. I’ve found I’m not alone feeling overwhelmed creatively.
Even though I feel often like I am.
It is remarkable to me how many of us fight the same battles but still manage to feel like we are only ones battling away. Be it loneliness, imposter syndrome, fear, or pride born of insecurity, we have a remarkable ability to struggle away and let this feeling (that in reality affects only our vocation) burden us with added emotional weight we never intended. Out of nowhere, overwhelm creeps use on us and catches us unaware at the smallest of slights.
We too easily feel like life is a battle simply because one area is not going as we’d like. It’s so easy to let feelings of frustration arise when they are far from justified. Sometimes we let insignificant things drag our whole mindset down into the mud.
Don’t project difficulty from one area of your life into every area of your life.
We give up ground that was never intended to be lost because we let one strand of frustration inhibit multiple strands of success. A challenge at work becomes a challenge we bring home. A missed opportunity in a meeting ruins the rest of your day.
Instead, our goal should be to see life for what it is — a continual blessing that will continue to unfold in every direction (some enjoyable, some not so much) for as long as we keep on living.
One of the keys to a healthy creative life is correctly apportioning mental and emotional weight to your work, life, and creativity.
Here are a few principles worth remembering when it comes to battling creative overwhelm. These have helped me over the last 14 years of creative work and over a decade of working with teams and people.
+ One failure is not total failure, the same way one success is not total success.
Don’t let one mistake overwhelm your entire day. It is only a minuscule fraction of what you’ll bring to life today. Why give it an inordinate amount of importance in your day? Recognise it for what it is — the past, unchangeable, but redeemable.
+ Find joy in the little things.
As life expands and your capacity is built, you will need to find joy in simple pleasures. The pressures of life and leadership will require you to smile easily and often — so find plenty of reasons to. Draw strength from a sunrise, a hug from your kids, the feel of a new book in your hand, or the endorphins as you work out. You’ll need them.
+ Don’t get frustrated by process, appreciate it’s the only way you’re designed to grow.
Too often we are frustrated when things don’t happen quickly. We want growth without grit and big reward without deep roots. Understand that process is the way you were designed to grow. Time is meant to be an ignitor, not an inhibitor, of your potential!
+ Prioritise companionship over collaboration.
Relax. Not every connection needs to be one based around a project or potential piece. Take the pressure off to perform. Simply enjoy the relationships that will nourish you, rather than pursuing ones you think will promote you.
+ Feed the best version of yourself, starve the insecure version of yourself.
Know what brings the best out if you. Optimise your calendar and attention to draw that out. On the flip side, know what frustrates you, and avoid situations or context that will exacerbate your weakness or draw your energy.
+ Find peace in the unknown.
This is the biggest one for me right now. It can feel so hard to separate what you know clearly from what you are yet to grasp. This applies to marriage, work, your creativity, and really anything that involves other people. Our tendency is to get frustrated at what we haven’t mastered and blame external circumstances. Instead of this, choose to concentrate on the one thing you can change; yourself. Pursue a peaceful and renewed mind, and you will be well equipped to deal with whatever challenge may come next.
How about you? I’d love to hear about any battles you may have fought with creative overwhelm and how you combatted it. Do you think some of these ideas could have helped you? Let me know over at: [email protected]
