Create Without Drama

I was listening to the Being Boss podcast the other day and Kathleen said something that really struck me: "Create without drama." My first thought was, "drama like tortured artist drama?" The whole tortured—perhaps mentally unstable from all the paint and varnish fumes—artist persona is an extreme. But like most things, drama comes with varying levels and degrees of severity. So what is this drama she's talking about?

I must confess: I create with drama. What's my drama (is this word losing all meaning for you too)? I create and then I work myself up into a panic that people won't like what I do. I build up this fear and nurture silly insecurities, alongside my writing, sketches, this blog, this website, design projects; and I let it cloud over the joy of creating something.

This debate with the inner critic that leads to fear, insecurity and Creative Block is the drama. This is the drama we need to leave behind in order to move forward.

Sound familiar yet? I'm sure I'm not the only one who hesitates sharing even small creations (like this blog post). For me, the drama that accompanies creativity is the fear of putting my work out there. Essentially, it's a fear of being judged. If you feel this way too, stop and think for a minute: whose opinion are you most worried about? If you are really honest with yourself, I'm willing to bet that the insecurity to share a dream, a goal, a creation, comes from the fear of being judged by a particular people—people who care about you and want only what's best for you. Is it worth it to be worried about a few people's opinions, no matter how well intentioned? Probably not, but only you can be the judge of that.

Paradoxically, there is also the fear of not being seen. In our social media world filled with followers and likes, it's way too easy to fall into the trap of relating your creative worth to the amount of likes and followers you have. This quantitative way we live online adds another, super weird level to our creative drama.

I wish I had the answer on how to deal with the fears of having your creative work be seen and not seen. All I can say to myself and to anyone in need of a encouraging shove, do your best to create without drama.