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In this lesson, I talk about letting go of the outcome of creating, and focus more on the process of creating, which is super important.
As we create, we are pushing into an uncertain, uncomfortable area, and resistance comes up. How do we overcome this? Focusing on the start and focusing on small chunks are good ways to overcome the resistance.
In addition, I’ve found a mindful process to be really helpful. Very often, resistance comes up because we’re focused on the outcome. We are worried about creating something crappy, worried about what others will think about what we create, worried about not being good at it.
This is the wrong focus, focusing on what happens as a result of our creative process. The truth is that we don’t have that much control over the outcome of what we create. We think we do, but we’re just putting our best effort into it without full control over whether the outcome is brilliant. Putting pressure on ourselves to create something brilliant is putting a big burden on ourselves that we can’t actually make happen.
What can we control? We can show up. We put ourselves in this uncertain place, show up and do what we can. That’s all you can do.
What comes out of it might be great, or might not. In my experience, if you continue to show up and put in your best effort, something good will come out of it, even if the result isn’t the absolute brilliance you’d hoped for. Maybe you’ll create something great, but even if you don’t, it’ll be worth the effort. You’ll get better and better at doing this if you continue to practice.
Continuing to show up — that’s what you can do.
I’m suggesting you put yourself mindfully in this space every single day, and get into the habit of being present with whatever you’re creating.
For example, if you’re sketching, you can have a blank page, and just start sketching. Just try to be present, fully looking at whatever you’re looking at, and fully feeling your fingers moving the pencil on the page, without worrying about how it looks. You’re seeing and you’re moving, but the outcome doesn’t have to be beautiful.
As a writer, you can see the ideas in your head and then feel your fingers moving across the keyboard (or your fingers moving the pen on paper). Allow the ideas, visuals, words come out of your head to flow onto the paper. Without worrying about whether it’s great or not.
Let yourself flow, let yourself move, and be there with this movement.
Exercise
Try being present with the creation process for the rest of this week. Discuss how this has worked for you, or what’s getting in the way, in Slack.