By Dan Goodwin

Many of us who create get caught in a frustrating dilemma that feels like a never ending downward spiral. Maybe you’ve been struggling a little to create freely in recent months. So the pressure to create has been rising, and creating has lost some of the pleasure it used to have. You’re not enjoying creating, it’s become more of a chore and a burden than the pleasure it once was.
The times you remember creating as being an inspiring and enjoyable experience are rapidly becoming a fading dot on the horizon of your memory. You stop suddenly one day and wonder we’re all the fun went, and seriously question whether you want to continue creating ANYTHING.
So what happened?
Put simply, creating has become a function rather than a pleasure.
Creating became something you did out of some kind of obligation. You tried to create what you thought you “should” create, rather than what you loved creating. And this is always a recipe for an unhappy artist!
So how do you get the fun back? How can you rediscover the enjoyment of creating, now it has nothing but negative associations for you?
The best way is to start small and build. What short creative project could you choose to do this weekend that you’d really like to? Maybe it will be a return to rediscovering a creative form you used to enjoy but haven’t tried in a while? Or maybe it will be a new medium you’ve always wanted to try but never got around to?
Whatever you choose, keep it simple and small.
Aim to write a poem, or create an Artist Trading Card, or embroider a small square for a quilt. Don’t pick something very challenging, large or difficult, you want to ease yourself back into enjoying your creativity gently.
Also, approach this new mini-project without expectation for a specific outcome, and without needing to have a “finished product”.
When you start with an idea, there’s always some form of expectation of what it can become. This expectation can be very limiting and restrictive if you have a very fixed outcome in mind and don’t allow your creativity any flexibility. If instead you start with your idea, and just see where it leads, allow it to evolve in the ways it needs to, the experience is far more enjoyable. Plus, it’s more stimulating and exciting because you don’t know where it will lead!
To recap then. If you feel you’ve lost sight of the fun and enjoyment in creating, start with a new mini-project this weekend.
Pick something small, something you can play and have fun with. Free yourself from limiting expectations. Then let your creativity loose and see what comes!