OVERCOMING FEAR AND LIVING CREATIVELY
Storyteller--Margaux Mays
You know what you want. It’s right there. You can see it, almost touch it. But something stops you from reaching out and grabbing it. “I’d better not. It’s too risky. It’s not smart. I might look stupid.” It’s those thoughts that stop you from doing the things you genuinely desire. We all experience fear in our lives and in our creative work.
Sometimes, we don’t even realize that we’re stopped. Fearful thoughts can swoop in so quickly, almost immediately. Fear is that thing on our path that stops us, turns us around and leads us back in the direction of our comfort zone. It shows up when making decisions about taking on new projects or sharing our work with others. Fear is perfectly normal. It’s there to keep us from wandering into the street off of the sidewalk. Fear protects us. But when it comes to pursuing a creative life, fear is limiting.
Fear is that thing on our path that stops us, turns us around and leads us back in the direction of our comfort zone.
If we can get practiced at recognizing when and where it has us stopped, fear is an excellent guide. When fear arises with your creative work, that’s your cue to move even faster toward the very thing that scares you. Take it as a sign that you’re exiting your comfort zone into uncharted territory that could lead you on a wonderful new path of discovery in your creative journey.
Imagine taking fear into your hands, packing it neatly in a box and setting it on a shelf as you take action and pursue the project or idea that lights you up! Acknowledge that fear will likely always exist AND continue to take action towards what you want. This is a winning combination in overcoming fear to live your most creative life.
Acknowledge that fear will likely always exist AND continue to take action towards what you want.
Whether or not your actions net the exact result you imagined, something amazing is always on the other side of fear. It could be your best creative work ever! At the very least, taking action despite fear provides valuable information and learnings to apply in your next attempt. Either way, you will have satisfaction in knowing that you went after something that you truly desired and didn’t shrink back.