The hard part of creative work

Everyone says they want to do the fun creative work. It seems so exciting, romantic even, to pull something out of yourself and give it shape and form in the world. 

Until...

The deadline is looming and...

you're stuck for an idea!

You don't know where to start, or where to go from here. 

And it all gets very stressful very fast. 

Suddenly, all those little mundane things seem very important. Surely you can't write that piece, or compose that song, or come up with your next offer until your sock drawer is thoroughly organized! 

There's a difference between healthy distractions to allow your mind some space to work its magic, and avoiding the less fun parts of creative work. Less fun things like...

The act of writing something terrible (or many terrible things) in order to get to the good thing. 

The messy process of dumping out all your ideas and looking at the chaos that was swimming around up there.

The terrifying first brush stroke on an empty canvas...

Creative work is scary. A part of you is coming out of the shadows to be seen in the world.

What will people think? Will it be good enough? What if they don't like it? What if I change my mind? What if it doesn't work? What if it DOES work? Will they expect more? What if I can't do it again? 

Creative work is also incredibly rewarding. It comes in many many forms, but it speaks to an innate part of our being; the Creator itself. 

When we create, we follow in the footsteps of the Divine. We mimic the laws of Mother Nature herself. 

It's easy to feel like it will never be good enough. 

Do it anyway. 

And don't just do it. Share it with others. Let that creative spark touch them too. 

That's how we allow life to be a joyful dance instead of a death march. 

Create and be alive! 

Love, 

The Mystic Next Door

P.S. This is how I learned to get out of my own way and let my creative side flourish. Now this kind of work is 80% of my life, rather than 10%.