Discover Your Obstacles to Writing and Find Creative Joy
Love the writing, love the writing, love the writing… the rest will follow. ~ Jane Yolen
Every day, I wake hours before dawn, ready and eager to write. Because I write daily, working on and finishing creative projects is usually very easy for me. More significantly, I’m happy because I’m doing what I love every day and I’m producing what I feel is important creative work.
However, there was a time when I didn’t work towards my creative pursuits on a consistent basis.
Instead, I complained that there was never enough time and fretted that I didn’t feel inspired or motivated.
So, I put it off and waited for more time, more energy, more inspiration, and more motivation. I waited as if some planetary alignment was necessary in order to simply put words on a page.
Needless to say, I didn’t do much creative writing. And oftentimes, when I did write, I seemed to struggle with every word.
So what changed? How did I go from waiting to writing? How did I transform my writing struggles into creative joy?
The Trouble with External Obstacles
Not surprisingly, when I was pushing off my writing, it was a time when I was deeply entrenched in a busy lifestyle.
How could I possibly spend time working on a short story when I had a work project due? How could I find the energy and the inspiration to write a poem when the dishes were piling up, the dogs needed a bath, and the lawn needed mowing? And on and on it went.
Frustrated and ultimately desperate to express myself creatively, I thought: If I can find the energy, time, motivation, and inspiration to do everything else in my busy life, then surely I can find the same for my poetry and stories.
So, what did I do? I read self-help books and articles about how to organize my life, how to get things done, and how to find extra hours in the day.
But none of it worked for me.
Setting goals and deadlines, creating time tables and elaborate filing systems, and managing my time differently only served to make me more exhausted, more frustrated, and ultimately more desperate.
Discovering Inner Obstacles
I slowly began to realize I was putting all my focus on external obstacles—ones which I deemed to comprise the “real” problem: I just didn’t have enough time and energy.
But what if external obstacles weren’t the problem?
So, I asked myself : If it’s not these external obligations getting in my way, then what’s really keeping me from doing what I ultimately love to do?
The answer to this question drilled down deep into my gut, and I realized what I was really struggling with were common fears and other negative emotions around my creativity. Here’s what I discovered:
I was afraid to write. I was afraid of failure, afraid of success, afraid I was a hack, afraid of rejection, and afraid others would find out I was a fraud.
I was angry. I was angry at myself for not being what I perceived to be a “good” writer—for not working harder, for not producing more, for not being more skillful and more talented.
I was sad. I was sad that I’d wasted time and hadn’t whole-heartedly pursued my creative writing career sooner, and I was sad that I wasn’t more successful already.
I was self-pitying, jealous of other seemingly more successful artists, and still picking scabs from old wounds to my creativity. In other words, I was an emotional mess. Beneath a façade of an otherwise successful person, I was a swirling chaos of fear and other uncomfortable emotions.
Once I started examining my inner obstacles—my negative emotions around my creative writing—I came to realize that I didn’t need to “fix” my time management skills or learn creative discipline or set yet another deadline I wouldn’t meet.
Rather, what I needed was to nurture my creative self, to tend to the pain I felt around my creativity, and to pump up my creative self-esteem.
A Place to Start
And how did I do that?
Well, it took time, patience, and faith. And unfortunately, there’s no simple formula for doing the internal work necessary to deal with one’s emotional obstacles. But here’s what I did:
I identified and learned to accept and to embrace my inner obstacles, and I let joy happen.
So, if you think you’re struggling with your own inner obstacles to writing, then try this experiment:
Identify Your Inner Obstacles
Take a good long look at your emotions, and ask yourself: What internal obstacles are keeping me from doing what I love to do? Am I afraid, sad, angry, or struggling with other difficult emotions? Do I feel unworthy, vulnerable, or uncertain?
Embrace and Accept Your Emotions
Once you’ve identified your emotions and inner obstacles to your creative work, then try to embrace and accept them.
What we resist persists. While negative emotions can make us uncomfortable, they won’t, in and of themselves, kill us. Instead, when we let ourselves feel our emotions around our creative work, then an opening-up to creative possibilities and change can and will happen.
Identify and Focus on Your Core Desires
A core desire is the underlying passion that fuels and drives our creative goals and dreams of artistic success. My core desire is to feel connected to others and to my world, which is why I write and share my creative work. Why do you write and create art? What are your core desires?
Embrace Joy
Give yourself permission to do what you love. I know, it’s easier said than done.
But here’s the thing: everyone possesses creativity; everyone deserves the joy that comes with expressing ourselves freely and creatively. Whether or not you’re ready to embrace it, creative joy is inherent to us all.
What’s Next?
Perhaps you’re tempted to create a daily writing routine. That’s great; that’s what I eventually did. Just be sure to start small and make it doable.
But here’s the thing: You don’t have to write daily to produce creative work and to experience the joy that comes with creativity. In the beginning, all you have to do is cherish your inner artist and your creative work whenever you do manage to write.
Feeling joy and doing what you love is addictive. The more you let yourself feel creative joy and the more you allow yourself to follow your creative dreams and do what you love, the more likely you are to write on a regular basis.
So, don’t force your creativity. Love it, nurture it, coax it, create a fertile context for it, and don’t worry. Trust that creative joy will happen, and it will.
What are your inner obstacles to writing? How do you find creative joy?
If you’ve enjoyed this article, then feel free to share it.
Flickr photo courtesy of Susanne Anette
Share16 Responses to “Discover Your Obstacles to Writing and Find Creative Joy”
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I’m not an especially joyful person – it’s not in my nature – and so I couldn’t say that joy in any way motivates my writing. What does is the belief that I might write something that matters. I have a facility with words and every time I sit down in front of a piece of paper (or more often these days my laptop) I know I have the opportunity to say something that will stop people in their tracks, will make them reassess their actions or in some way validate something in their lives. Not everyone can put things into words. They can spend years trying to express themselves and then they read something in a poem or a book of quotations that says exactly what they’ve been thinking. That keeps me going.
Jim Murdoch´s last [type] ..Chew your poems properly
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Ami Mattison Reply:
November 20th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
What an excellent motivator, Jim!
Writing something that matters to others is one of my core desires, which motivates me not only to write but to share my work as widely as I can.
I know I’ve had that experience of finding a quote or a poem or a story and recognizing that the author has put into words exactly what I needed to hear and couldn’t say.
It’s great to aspire to be that kind of author!
Hope your novel is coming along! Good luck and thanks for sharing!
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The more of these kinds of excellent posts of yours I read, the more I think how useful they would all be together, in a print- or e-book. Something you might want to consider. You frame the posts beautifully and add just the right mix of the personal and professional to show anyone how to get the best from herself as a writer.
Maureen´s last [type] ..Saturday Sharing My Finds Are Yours
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Ami Mattison Reply:
November 21st, 2010 at 12:53 pm
What a nice compliment, Maureen! Thank you!
Right now, I’m tinkering with a PDF to give to those who sign-up for the mailing list. It’s going to be a kind of prelude to what I hope will eventually be an ebook. A print book would totally rock though!
Thanks for the encouragement, and, as always, for your loyal support!
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Wow, Ami, you really blew me away with this. You dig right down and connect with what’s going on inside. What really resonated with me was ‘Accept and Embrace’. This is the most vital thing for sanity not just creativity, Accept our fears, accept what doesn’t work, accept who we are. It’s deep down inside us that creativity happens, with all the succes and failure, good and bad, that’s down there. Than you.
Graham Phoenix´s last [type] ..When I Let Go I Became a Man
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Ami Mattison Reply:
November 21st, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Thank you, Graham! I’m glad this article spoke to you. You’re so right that one must accept and embrace their feelings for sanity’s sake as well as for creativity. It seems I’m constantly having to re-learn this truth!
Thanks for sharing your insight!
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Hey Ami
“I was a swirling chaos of fear and other uncomfortable emotions.” Yes…I can surely empathise with that and every negative emotion that you listed in this wonderful post…fear, anger, sadness, jealousy, self-pity, and probably a whole lot more.I think my core reason for wanting to persist is that I want to reconnect with the pure joy of being ‘in the flow’ with the Higher Source of creativity. I also love the feeling of being able to communicate and connect with others through the written word. Thank you for your generosity Ami, in telling us that you have also been there, which really helps because you have not only managed to overcome it, but have done so prolifically and successfully
…and with the full force of a highly creative talent.
Rosemary´s last [type] ..5 Steps to Recovery From an O-D of Shiny Happy Peeps
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Ami Mattison Reply:
November 21st, 2010 at 1:03 pm
Wow! Thanks for such a generous comment and compliment, Rosemary! You just made my day!
I find it so interesting that we can otherwise be sane and “normal” people in the world and then when it comes to our writing and creative work, we artists are little swirling dervishes of insecurity!
I so feel you on wanting to constantly re-create that joy of being “in the flow” and feeling connected to a “higher source of creativity.” That’s a great way to put it!
Thanks again, Rosemary. It’s a pleasure to read your experiences and insights!
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Great article that I will definitely share with other writers…I think that we all have these feelings initially, especially when beginning our writing adventures, which is the perspective I try to keep…it is an adventure of ups and downs, exciting and scary times, peaceful and chaotic times…just like life itself. Enjoy the ride!
shewriting´s last [type] ..MANIPULATE
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Ami Mattison Reply:
November 22nd, 2010 at 6:02 am
Thanks for sharing your insight and experience!
Yes, writing and doing other creative work is indeed an adventure. Through my experience, what I’ve found is that negative emotions around our creativity can follow us well into the mature stages of our creative careers. As you suggest, just like life with its ups and downs, so it is with our creative journeys, which for me has been a constant learning and re-learning to deal with messy emotions around my creativity. Thankfully, there is always joy to buoy us!
Good luck with your creative pursuits, and here’s to enjoying the adventure!
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Ami,
This is a beautifully insightful post. It ain’t what’s happening outside. It’s what’s going on inside. I’m excited to share the act of awakening with you after all these years. I present to our dialogue on being human, words from the Course in Miracles.
To give and to receive are one in truth.
Thank you for your giving.
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Ami Mattison Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 10:26 am
Thank you so much, Adolph! I appreciate your participation in the dialogue. And thank you for graciously receiving what I have to give and for generously giving back with your support!
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Ami,
Your post came at the right time. I have been procrastinating with my writing and blamed everything else but myself. Thank you for such a wonderful post and looking forward to reading more of your work.
I can’t stop smiling!!
Khady
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Ami Mattison Reply:
November 24th, 2010 at 6:22 am
Ah, procrastination. Sometimes, procrastination can be helpful in the sense that it preps us to flex those creative muscles. But when I’ve procrastinated well-past a reasonable amount of time, then I know I’m struggling with an inner obstacle that I’d rather avoid. What’s great about that struggle is it gives me a chance to really dig deep and use my inner obstacle as a challenge. Also, I think procrastination can be a sign that a creative transformation is taking place.
So delighted that this article made you smile, Khady! Good luck tackling procrastination!
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I think you are so right in this one, Ami. I’ve been meaning to finish a post about a book I’ve been reading that gets to this very thing. I’ve been not finishing it because of all those other things I always *need* to do. Well, I do need to do them, at least for right now, but today I can also finish the post. Thanks for the nudge–
Rita´s last [type] ..One of my kind- Gratitude 112410
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Ami Mattison Reply:
November 25th, 2010 at 8:16 pm
Yep, I know what you mean, Rita. I often find that those “tasks that must be done” are really just getting in the way of what will nurture me and bring me some joy. And when I reward myself and my creativity by writing or doing other creative work, then I’m actually much more likely to take care of those other tasks. That said, I’ve been writing all day, and I need to go wash some dishes now!
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