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Killers of Creativity Every Writer Should Watch Out For - Part 2

Pride

To be good at what you do you have to be open to learning new things and ways of writing. The worst aspect of pride is that it confines you to only what you know yet you could learn so much more from other writers’ work. It is great to believe in yourself but if believing in yourself is getting in the way of your growth then it is time to assess whether you truly believe in yourself or it is pride that is blocking your path to becoming better at what you do. Keeping an open mind and hearing what other people have to say and learning from their experiences are all useful components of creativity.

Boredom

To keep innovating, keep looking for new and exciting projects that push the boundaries of what you are already familiar to. Spend time on one project and when you realize that your excitement is waning and that you have learned much of what you could learn, look for new projects that scare but excite you. New challenges not only present new opportunities for learning new things, but they also create excitement which is important in the case of creativity.

Procrastination

When we first think of an idea, the thrill of starting something new or taking up a new opportunity is almost usually tangible at that moment. The longer we take to execute the new idea, the less excited we become and, ultimately, the less creative we end up being - unlike if we had acted on the opportunity as soon as it arose. This does mean we should rush into new ideas without giving them thought. We should obviously evaluate each opportunity but also act fast since overthinking is a proven obstacle to creativity and growth. 

Undue pressure

Doing things in a new way can be daunting, mostly because there already exists pressure from other sources around us. Creativity requires space to think freely and time to develop new work. Pressure, on the other hand, creates a stressful environment which destroys creativity. Handling stressful situations outside of your work is obviously beneficial in many ways, particularly, in that it allows an unconstrained setting for writing. This, however, is sometimes easier said than done. Alternatively, writing could be used in such a case as an outlet for everything happening around you. Instead of destroying your creativity, use stress as a fuel to write more passionately and create amazing work.

Inability to focus

When you have too much on your plate, it is difficult to be creative. Innovation requires prioritization and directing all your attention to a particular area. If you have too many ideas and you are working on all of them at the same time, the possibility is that your focus is going to be split across the board and you will not give each idea the attention it requires. Learning to edit your plan and maximize what you are most passionate about is essential in becoming more creative at what you do.

Written by Readers’ Favorite Reviewer Edith Wairimu