Mental struggles creatives experience
As human beings and creatives, we often struggle with negative thoughts that get in the way. I will go through some common concepts that we often struggle with..
IMPOSTER SYNDROME
Are you worried that people will realize that you do not know anything or that you are not good enough? That you feel like a scam? You are definitely not alone, it is a common feeling and many have felt / feel the same way. I myself have experienced this a lot and worried when I did work that I will not live up to expectations. As with a lot, it helps to talk about it either with someone else or with yourself by putting words to the feelings and learning to understand them better. We are never full-fledged and there is always room to grow, so we must understand that there will be things we cannot do, but that does not mean that we are not competent at our job. Even experts and people with years of experience have things to learn and make mistakes! No one expects you to know everything and succeed with everything flawlessly all the time. People hire you because they themselves have no knowledge in the field.
PROCRASTINATION
Do you put things off and leave them until the very last minute? Or in an unidentified future? The reason we postpone things is to avoid unpleasant feelings. It may also be that we doubt our own ability and do not dare to start because we are afraid that it will not live up to our and others' expectations. To make it easier, we can break the information down into smaller parts to reduce the discomfort to become too great. If you need to read a book, you can, for example, start by only reading one page! Or ONE opinion. One word. As small parts as you need to do it. Once you are up and running, things often flow more easily.
COMPARISON
That we look around us and compare ourselves with others is common, especially today with social media. We measure our value in relation to others and try to figure out if we are good enough and if we will be allowed to join the group. It is fear that underlies this problem. Humans are a tribal species and historically we need our environment for survival. When it comes to feeding on your creativity, you can worry that you see that others do a better job in our eyes and that others may not hire us right then. How then are we to support ourselves? And survive? Be aware of your fear and approach it with humility. Turn your gaze and focus inwards instead of the surroundings. There is security in being able to comfort and stand up for oneself. When you put the spotlight on the feeling, it usually calms down. Admit to yourself that you feel scared and that it's all right.
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