Right before I took my summer writing break (which I just cut short), I shared some information about why I started writing in the first place. In the words of my coach and mentor, Chris, I needed to “flip the lie” I was telling myself — and specifically, I was telling myself that I wasn’t an artist or able to do creative work.
Writing, for me, was a way to flip that lie on its head and proving to myself that it was just untrue. And I did that! I no longer have any doubts that I’m able to create. To produce.
More recently though, I started seizing up when it came to taking on a creative project I thought I was excited about. And when I started to dig into it — I found my inner monologue telling me a new lie!
I don’t have enough original thought. I can’t produce my own original ideas in a way that is new and valuable to people.
In some form, this was a pretty frequent thought and mental block that was stopping me from even trying.
I had thought that by getting past that first lie, I was free and clear; problem solved, wipe my hands, and onto the next amazing, uninterrupted phase of my creative life!
But with just about all things — it turns out to be an ongoing process or cycle. Notice a problem > identify the source > work on the solution.
So, in typical me form, I cut the writing hiatus short to put a process in place to force the behavior. Once just a method of forcing the creation of something, now I have an even larger focus on deeper, more original insight.
More on the lie itself tomorrow.