Anxiety vs. Creativity

Hey There!

Happy Thursday! I hope you’re having a great week! As always feel free to watch my video and/or keep on reading for all the latest.

So this week I want to talk a little bit about something that has been on my mind — how anxiety gets in the way of creativity. Having the opportunity to do something I love, in my case writing, professionally is amazing, and it’s something I’m so grateful for. But I think the risk we run when we turn our passions into professional pursuits is that we can put a lot of additional pressure on ourselves to do everything just perfectly.

For me, I think that shows up most when I’m outlining a series. When I’m writing, it seems to be easier to get into a flow state. But when I’m outlining, there’s always a part of my brain that’s anxious about whether the story will appeal to publishers, whether I’m getting across the messages I’m trying to focus on, whether I’m somehow overlooking a glaring plot hole, etc. And that makes it difficult to be creative, and to allow the story to flow.

I’m not exactly sure what the answer is here, since it’s something I’m still working on. But I think it has to do with stepping back and reminding myself that, in the present moment everything is fine. Nothing bad is actually happening to me as I sit here typing away on my laptop. And it’s about remembering that all the terrible future outcomes I’m imagining — publishers and readers hating my ideas and never wanting to read another thing I write ever again — are just anxiety-induced fictions.

Our brains want to protect us, so they imagine the worst-case scenario out of the false belief that doing so will actually help us to avoid negative outcomes. And there are some situations in which vigilance can keep us safe. But I think more often than not, those imagined worst-case scenarios are no more likely to transpire than the outcomes we actually want. And operating from a place of fear just stifles our creativity and holds us back.

I’m working on a couple of outlines for stories I plan to pitch this year, and trying to allow myself to get into a state of creative flow, and not let anxiety overwhelm my thinking, is something I’m going to be focusing on.

As far as stuff I’m reading, I just finished the last issue of Spectregraph, by James Tynion IV and Christian Ward, and I loved it! The twist ending is perfect, and the whole series is the best kind of creepy. If you haven’t read it, I recommend checking it out!

Well, that’s it from me for now! As always, you can find me on social @sarahccomics, and I hope to connect with you there!

Best,
Sarah