June 11, 2021 | Categories: Articles

Special consideration must be given to the effect that Fear has on our ability to remain engaged with the authentic Desires that power our will to create. Research shows that almost everyone is capable of some degree of Creativity. All that is required is a combination of experience, knowledge, and skill, the basics of which children acquire at a very early age. Creativity is known to be an innate attribute of all human beings.

As individuals grow and mature, we observe that the basic foundations of Creativity can be bolstered through more advanced practices, such as technical training, techniques for innovative thought, and the ability to handle rhythmic periods of activity/inactivi­ty, to name a few.

The experience of Fear, on the other hand, has a very destructive impact on our ability to create. The inhibitions that are caused by Fear exist in many forms and affect every stage of the creative process. For example, we can doubt that we will have worth­while ideas. We can worry that we won’t successful­ly execute our creative vision. We may feel anxious about producing to meet deadlines. We may dread that our work will be judged harshly or rejected out­right by others. Even if we achieve success, we can panic that it won’t be repeated. Most damaging of all, many will doubt that they can make a living at the work they love, and therefore, will turn their back on, or refuse to pursue, promising opportunities.

Encountering Fear is a common impasse in the cre­ative process. In 2004, Bill Breen published 6 Myths About Creativity. The article reported on 12,000 daily journal entries that mapped the degree of reported fear, anxiety, sadness, anger, joy, or love that people experienced in their creative practice.

The results were convincing and made common sense. “Creativity is positively associated with joy and love and negatively associated with anger, fear, and anxiety.” The surprising fact was that the daily entries show not only are people happiest when they generate creative ideas, which is to be expected, but also, they’re more likely to experience a creative breakthrough when they were happy the day before.

This research underscores the importance of learn­ing to manage our fears and doubts as an essen­tial part of the creative process. “When people are excited about their work, there’s a better chance that they’ll make a cognitive association that incubates overnight and shows up as a creative idea the next day. One day’s happiness often predicts the next day’s creativity.” In light of these implications, it be­comes important that we both learn to manage the impact of our fears and learn to immerse ourselves in positive experiences that fuel our creative inspira­tions.

One of the most useful resources in understanding how Fear affects the creative process is the land­mark book, Art & Fear: Observations on The Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking, by David Bayles and Ted Orland. It is an essential guide that must be studied and practiced by anyone who hopes to create a sustainable and successful creative life or to teach others how to do so.