Impulses

You’re riding the wave of creative fulfillment with a project, getting it done and feeling great about it. Then you turn a corner and find yourself in a dark cul de sac of doubt. Your joy is replaced with questions:

• Will anyone care about this?
• Is this any good?
• Wouldn’t it be better to just drop it and relax a bit?

If you’re like me, this happens on almost every project, and especially on the ones that feel particularly vulnerable or meaningful.
I have been circling in the cul de sac of doubt with my latest project, my annual review. I’ve been working on it steadily for the last few weeks and am approaching the final 20% of the writing.
This last part of any creative process is always plagued with these doubts. We’re faced with our limitations and fears and it seems like such a better idea to just ditch the thing like a bad cold.
Even though I have been here many times, the fears seem as potent as always. Even though I know better than to abandon something this close to the finish line, it’s oh so tempting.
Here’s what I am doing to cope with the cul de sac of doubt:

• I move between working on the writing and working on gathering the visual images
• I take myself to various cafés to work on the writing helps me stay focused on the project
• I ask myself what could improve the writing, challenging myself to make an even better product.

And finally, I recommitted to finishing the project. When we want to ditch something, it’s offering us a chance to re-center ourselves on why we are doing it. I decided that I was going to finish the annual review to the best of my ability and put it out there in mid-December as planned.
The fears and doubts will still be there, stronger than ever as I approach the publication date. I know that. But I will not let my inner critic and fears decide what I do and what I create. I hope you don’t, either. Keep going until the joyful end.

I’m leading a coaching group, Write On, and last week many of the members found themselves waylaid from their writing goals. This is normal – a big shift or surprise can put us into shock mode. In this state of intense emotion, it’s hard to focus.
Massive upheaval can also bring our inner critic out into the light. I know I faced doubts about the annual review I am writing. Isn’t this selfish? Shouldn’t I be doing more important things? How privileged of me to be writing about my year.
These doubts made me want to abandon my work.
And yet I know that hiding is not my true path. My path is to share what I know about the creative process so that others are emboldened to do their creative work.
Even in times of uncertainty, fear and upheaval, we MUST keep creating. Yes, there is a time to process what we are feeling and thinking, but what better way to do that than through our art and our writing?
If you need a few pointers on how to stay focused on your work, here are some thoughts.
• Limit your consumption of media and others’ opinions.
• Begin your day with your own work, not others’.
• Let your body lead – listen to its needs and honor them.
• Watch out for self-sabotage tendencies – binging on food, drink or media will not serve you.
• Connect with loved ones.
• Access nature and other things that nurture you.
• Do your creative work.
There will be days when you cannot think, focus, sit still or create. Those are the days where you can do small bits of your project. Remind yourself of your original impulse for this project. Lay out the outline of your book in index cards. Look up links for things you want to share. Tidy up and clean the studio space. Do something, no matter how small, to stay connected to your creating.
It’s never been more clear that we must keep making. We cannot let anything – either external forces or internal fears – stop us from what is inside us and what must be expressed. Each of us has a voice and a role to play, and there is no longer any time to believe that we don’t matter.
Please,  do not let your inner critic or your fears win the day. Do not let a day pass without feeding your creative fire. Write. Make. Speak. Inspire.
We need you.

A ‘faux pas’ {ˌfō ˈpä/} in French is literally translated as a ‘false step’. We usually think of a faux pas as a social gaff, a mistake that puts us on the wrong side of the conventional line.
But today I want to talk about some of the mistakes we may be unconsciously making that get in the way of having a satisfying writing life.
In the twenty years I have been working with writers, these are ten things we do that I know diminish our writing happiness. These faux pas are common to writers and any kind of artist. Check the list to see if you are – oops! – making any of these missteps.
Faux pas 1. Blabbing. Writers are always excited about their projects. This is good! But when you blab your ideas, you lose motivation to actually write them.
Faux pas 2. Overambitious scheduling. We all think we need hours and hours to write, but then we never manage to block off all that time. Start small and build. Fifteen minutes, several days per week, adds up.
Faux pas 3. Spending too much time reading about writing. Admit it: you know when you are procrastinating by reading rather than writing. Don’t spend your precious writing time reading someone else’s words.
Faux pas 4. Isolating yourself. The loner archetype may be appealing but isolating yourself robs you of the chance to grow beyond the known. Find other writers to share the adventure with. Connect with writing buddies in workshops, at readings, in libraries and bookstores.
Faux pas 5. Comparing yourself to others. If you make a comparison and it propels you to do more writing, the comparison has been useful. If it makes you feel like giving up writing, give up comparing instead.
Faux pas 6. Letting your inner critic take the lead. We tend to take the negative voice in our head as the truth. In my work with my clients, we always start by identifying that inner critic. When we know its tendencies, we can more easily know when it’s taken over. Choosing which perspectives to orient our actions to is one of the most powerful ways to honor our creativity and get things done that matter to us.
Faux pas 7. Staying in student mode. Classes are great, but if we’re counting on them to do all our focusing work, we’re not building our own creative muscles. Use the momentum of the class to continue writing once the class is over.
Faux pas 8. Giving in to discouragement. Every writer I’ve worked with despairs about how long it’s taking for them to write. But writing is a long process, and we have to accept that it’s not a rush job.
Faux pas 9. Judging your writing prematurely. Our inner critics love to get in on the critique action right away. Give your words a bit of space before you bring a critical eye. Leave a day or at least several hours before going in with the red pen.
Faux pas 10. Abandoning hope. I’ve been writing steadily for twenty-two years. I am always finding ways to improve my writing and am grateful for the challenge to be better. It takes time to hone a craft, so steady on!
If you’ve found yourself guilty of some of these creative missteps, don’t sweat! You are now aware of them, and that’s the first step.