It’s my strong belief that deep down, everyone wants to create something amazing. I know it’s true of myself and I’m not shy about admitting that (because life’s too short).
The desire to do something amazing, to have an impact on others, is a powerful motivator. Motivation gets us into action. Motivation. It’s an important thing to have and we all know that. But then this brings up the self-doubt, and the big question…
Am I motivated enough?
Am I ENOUGH – in any way – to actually do what I would really like to do?
It’s all too easy to let the day-in, day-out busyness bog us down. Something has to give, and too often we let the stuff that really matters to us slip through. When this pattern goes on too long, we resign our dreams altogether.
The hour when we could have written something becomes the day. The day we could have written something becomes the week. The month. Years. Life. This isn’t just procrastination, it’s neglect.
Many creative people have lived out their lives never really pursuing their creative abilities fully, never daring to become what they wished to be. They’ve neglected who they wanted to really be; they let that whither.
There is only one thing you must do to avoid this end. Just one.
You must write. Or draw, or sing, or do whatever it is that you need to do to be happy. But whatever that is, you must do it daily (at least 15 minutes!) and consider it a practical aspect of your daily life.
Like brushing your teeth (4 minutes), eating (15 minutes – 1 hour), and sleeping (6-8 hours). Writing or doing anything creative is no different from these tasks, because it is as essential. It also involves you making the conscientious decision to see your creativity as being as important as sleep.
You do need sleep (and showers!), whether you admit it or not.
If you work at a job that requires you to push through a minimum 12-hour shift, then I understand fully that this is all you will have the energy to do. I’ve been there. If you are extremely lucky, that 12-hour workday will be doing something you love. (That was not the case for me.)
Just Right Now
I think we tend to think of who we are in terms of the person we imagine we would like to be some day in the future. “I want to be a _______.”
That kind of statement tells us something important about a person.
But whatever it is you’d put in the blank space, that isn’t what you are. It’s what you want to be. In truth, most people never actually make that blank space a reality.
Do not let the daily stuff prevent you from becoming your future self. Remember that you are what you do. If you write, and you do that because you want to share what you’ve written with others, you are a writer.
That’s it. You don’t need permission to be a writer.
And let me tell you right now – if you do feel that you need permission (as I did, for so many years), I can give it to you, right now.
You absolutely have my permission to be a writer.
You absolutely have my permission to be an artist.
You absolutely have my permission to pursue your creativity in a serious manner – as serious as you want to make it. It’s entirely up to you.
Now go be you.
Keep creating, no matter what.
--Download Create Something Amazing as PDF --
K.C. most recently fought breast cancer - and won. Now? She‘s writing a novel. Come visit her at KC-Hill.com.
- How to Procrastinate (yes, there IS a right way!) - July 3, 2018
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- Write an Awesome Inciting Incident: 3 things to do - May 21, 2018
Great advice …and inspiration! Thanks Chazda!
that really helped and so true……………..
I‘m so glad!