The Art of Creating and the Stress That Comes with It

Stress is a funny thing, sometimes it hits like a tidal wave and sometimes it is a slow-burning fire that feels like it is always stoked, and as creatives, I think we can fall into deep stress that revolves around performance and perfectionism.

I was a college athlete and before that, a high school athlete. It was not only something I did, but it was my whole identity. I was young and easily manipulated into believing that my value came from what I did and what people thought of me. A crippling need to perform well, so much so that I spent sleepless nights before a big game or a 2k test. If you know what that is then you know it was a stress-inducing; heart-pounding experience. You would constantly find yourself in a place of stress and/or failure. You would either overcome it or not, but it always happened so fast. No time to dwell on it but only to continue through it. You would have the big game and you would either win or lose, then it was on to the next. Instant gratification was the name of the game.

When I transitioned to creating, I was surprised by the vast differences. Where sports are performance-based, it is also a group endeavor—you win or lose together. Creating, although collaborative can be a lonely journey. You are creating from a personal place and it is generally challenging to access the place of vulnerability and place it at the feet of the masses. The anxiety that accompanies creatives is soul-shredding, and normally sounds like this in your head:

Will people like this?

Am I even talented?

What the heck am I doing?

How is this going to get done?

What was I thinking?

For me, this arises as I look at what feels like a mountain of editing or the blank page of a new screenplay idea. Massive projects feel insurmountable and overwhelming when they begin. The fear is that you will do all this work and no one will love it, or you will find out that your fears are, indeed, true.

I am writing this today as I begin to edit my first feature project, and along the way, all I have learned is that I truly do not know what I am doing. All these feeling are arising and I feel the stress like a slow fire and an avalanche at the same time. However, just underneath the overwhelming anxiety is a budding excitement that grows with every second that passes. This excitement is the reason we create. The joy of putting your heart on a page, or filming the truth of peoples’ pain, the uncontainable need to create and express is exactly why we do what we do.

I am learning that stress doesn't have to be a reality of the creative process. Yes, maybe no one will like what you create, but you cannot please everyone. So why would you even try? And if you do try, you end up making bland and pointless art. Create from the uncontrollable place in you and stop worrying about what people will think.

ALSO, YOU WILL NEVER BE PERFECT! LIKE EVER.

Stress releases when we stop performing and create from a place of truth. Especially when we let go of perfectionism and enjoy the ride. I needed reminding of this today. I hope it helped!

Go create!