The Creator's Daily Struggle
Another morning and it’s there again. That Resistance. Those distractions. That hope of an easy way out, that avoidance. That wishful, irrational thought.
Maybe today I won’t have to work for my art.
Maybe I don’t have to seek out the Muse. To make any effort. ”Please, just let the Muse seize me,” we cry internally. Seize me from my bad habits. From my social feed, my Netflix account, my over-scheduled life. Rip me from my self doubt, my procrastination. Kicking and screaming, just save me from my own apathy.
From my own lack of preparation.
So you keep waiting for the Muse. To write your screenplay, plan your podcast, produce your music. How many days now waiting and not working on your art? Two? Seven? Forty? What’s the opposite of a forty-day flood?
We think we need to wait for creativity to come to us. But that’s not how it works.
“Put your ass where your heart wants to be,” writes Steven Pressfield. In other words, sit at the desk, stand at the easel, sit with your instrument. Put in the time. Put in the effort. Not at all, Muse, allow me. Allow me to climb the mountain. To carry you, Muse, on my back.
“It’s the simplest and most direct way to get up in the morning and do our work,” Pressfield continues, “and to lie down at night feeling at peace with ourselves, knowing for this one day at least we have defeated our demons and moved twenty-four hours closer to living the True Self and Best Self we were born to be.”
So don’t wait. Do it now. Go create for an hour or two, even if the muse doesn’t come. Then do the same thing tomorrow, and for the next forty days and forty nights.
The struggle is not a curse. It’s your birthright as an artist.
(This post was originally sent out on my weekly newsletter, The Creative Process. Sign up now.)
***
New Online Course Now Available on Skillshare
Many creatives, including writers, musicians, filmmakers, and artists, struggle with consistency in their creative flow. I designed the online video course Creative Flow on Schedule to teach you how to build a creative deep work routine, so that you can summon and harness your creative energies—every day.
If you are ready to learn how to supercharge your creative production, head over to Skillshare to enroll in this 45-minute video course. Use this link to get one free month of Skillshare.
What You'll Learn
A step-by-step method for creating a personalized Creative Deep Work routine
What "deep work" is, why it is rare and valuable, and how to do more of it
The three phases of a routine that encourage creative flow
How to "check your compass" so that you move closer to your artistic goals
How to design a sequence of actions that will prepare your physical space, mind, and emotions for creativity
Three questions to ask at the end of every deep work session that will help you stay on course and reach your artistic goals faster
And much more!
Take the course and get one free month of Skillshare by using this link: Creative Flow on Schedule.