We were made to create but there are times when we do not feel too creative. Maybe it's because there are things in our lives or beliefs we hold that keep us from being creative in various aspects of our lives. We might be too plugged in to our devices and we need to head outdoors and meet new faces. Or perhaps our skill set is stale and it is time to learn something new. Or it could be because we are wrapped up in our jobs and we have become enslaved to making money. Here are a few creativity killers in our lives.
Negative feedback from others
One thing that kills your creativity is negative feedback from others. You wrote an entire manuscript and you were passionate about the mission of your project until you kept getting rejections or bad reviews by potential editors. When you let negative feedback keep you from staying creative, you don't grow as a person. The key is to take this feedback and improve in areas that you're lacking in. You don't want to give up on your passion because of what others said.
Lack of patience
Some of your most creative accomplishments will take time to complete. You are working on building your home-based childcare business but there are not many clients after a year in business. Instead of losing patience and giving up, ask yourself if there is something you need to do to bring in more clients and increase revenue. Get more creative with your marketing strategy.
Too many distractions
As stated in the beginning of the article, we mentioned that being too plugged in to our gadgets can hurt our creativity. Other distractions might include hanging out all the time, watching too much TV, or spending too much time in other people's lives. In order to boost our creativity, we need to eliminate the distractions that hold us back.
Overworking yourself
I am guilty of doing this as a writer. I get excited about a variety of ideas and I try to write as much content as possible while the ideas swim in my head. But at times I overwork myself and as a result I don't have the creativity I used to have. My advice is to not let yourself burn out and to know that it is okay to have moments of rest for the brain occasionally.
Fear of failing
Some people never become as creative as they can be because they are afraid to try. They might feel that their ideas are too unusual for others to appreciate and therefore they keep these ideas to themselves. Some of the most creative professionals have failed several times and it was the failures that led to the greatest successes.
Your creativity is what helps you turn your passion into something that will give you a sense of gratification. Your creativity can also make life easier for others, depending on your project. As you eliminate these creativity killers, your work will improve and your confidence will grow.