Weekly newsletter
I. Prompts for motivation
Can you think of any creative pursuits you once loved but eventually left behind? Maybe there was a time when you poured your heart into something—writing, painting, designing, building—only to let it fade over time. What internal or external factors do you think led you to stop nurturing those ideas or projects?
Do you ever feel overwhelmed or anxious about your creative work? If so, how do you cope with those intense emotions while staying connected to what you care about? Temporary setbacks can sometimes feel permanent in the moment. But how do you keep showing up anyway?
II. Thoughts for intention
Many successful artists and entrepreneurs remind us that creativity and vulnerability are inseparable. You can’t have one without the other. Any kind of authentic expression will naturally bring out the full range of what it means to be human. That includes self-sabotage, procrastination, doubt, laziness, impatience, perfectionism, and difficulty focusing. These experiences are part of the process, not signs of failure. Simply recognizing this can help us accept the emotional ups and downs we face when working on something meaningful.
Often, we get stuck trying to get everything just right. But truthfully, what we create can always be shaped and refined. It’s normal to lose our way sometimes. We all make mistakes. But those moments aren’t wasted. Every step—even the frustrating ones—matters. When we stay open to learning, refining, and showing up with compassion, we create from a much more honest and grounded place.
III. Ideas for preparation
When creative blocks show up, it can help to pause and look inward. What emotions might be coloring our mindset? Often, perfectionism or rigidity creeps in quietly, pulling our attention away from the present moment. Becoming aware of our inner critic gives us room to approach things with clarity, not judgment. This awareness can shift us into a more thoughtful, solution-focused mindset.
Even when self-doubt feels overwhelming, we’re capable of moving through it—just like so many creators, athletes, and entrepreneurs have before us. Their success reminds us that we too can find the tools and make the choices that lead us forward. Over time, we can begin to see creative resistance not as a wall, but as a gateway to growth. That’s what healthy striving looks like: a mindset rooted in the belief that we can grow stronger through what challenges us most.
IV. Quotes for inspiration
“I tend to flood and freeze up if I’m feeling overwhelmed. When this happens, it’s usually because I feel like the world is crashing down and all is lost. One trick I’ve learned is to force myself to make a list of what’s actually wrong. Usually, soon into making the list, I find I can group most of the issues into two or three larger all-encompassing problems. So it’s really not all that bad. Having a finite list of problems is much better than having an illogical feeling that everything is wrong.”
― Ed Catmull, Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
“Let me list for you some of the many ways in which you might be afraid to live a more creative life: You’re afraid you have no talent. You’re afraid you’ll be rejected or criticized or ridiculed or misunderstood or—worst of all—ignored. You’re afraid there’s no market for your creativity, and therefore no point in pursuing it. You’re afraid somebody else already did it better. You’re afraid everybody else already did it better. You’re afraid somebody will steal your ideas, so it’s safer to keep them hidden forever in the dark. You’re afraid you won’t be taken seriously. You’re afraid your work isn’t politically, emotionally, or artistically important enough to change anyone’s life. You’re afraid your dreams are embarrassing. You’re afraid that someday you’ll look back on your creative endeavors as having been a giant waste of time, effort, and money. You’re afraid you don’t have the right kind of discipline. You’re afraid you don’t have the right kind of work space, or financial freedom, or empty hours in which to focus on invention or exploration. You’re afraid you don’t have the right kind of training or degree. You’re afraid you’re too fat. (I don’t know what this has to do with creativity, exactly, but experience has taught me that most of us are afraid we’re too fat, so let’s just put that on the anxiety list, for good measure.) You’re afraid of being exposed as a hack, or a fool, or a dilettante, or a narcissist. You’re afraid of upsetting your family with what you may reveal. You’re afraid of what your peers and coworkers will say if you express your personal truth aloud. You’re afraid of unleashing your innermost demons, and you really don’t want to encounter your innermost demons. You’re afraid your best work is behind you. You’re afraid you never had any best work to begin with. You’re afraid you neglected your creativity for so long that now you can never get it back. You’re afraid you’re too old to start. You’re afraid you’re too young to start. You’re afraid because something went well in your life once, so obviously nothing can ever go well again. You’re afraid because nothing has ever gone well in your life, so why bother trying? You’re afraid of being a one-hit wonder. You’re afraid of being a no-hit wonder.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
