- Fear is a family member. That's how the writer Elizabeth Gilbert describes the hanger-on that takes up residency in the soul of most people she knows, herself included, attempting to live a creative life. In her truly lovely 2015 book, Big Magic, Creative Living Beyond Fear, Gilbert notes that writers, artists, and musicians, yes are creatives, and so, too, are gardeners, knitters, and ice skaters. A great many of us, in other words, share space with this persistent, taunting relative.
- Creativity asks you to enter into realms of uncertainty, Gilbert says. Fear loathes uncertainty. So, she'll put all her energy into sowing doubt and pestering you with thoughts of unworthiness, then convince you the time and effort to write an essay, design a new layout for your flower bed, or learn to play the fiddle just isn't worth it. In fact, fear can be so compelling that she has you buying into the notion your creative effort is actually a bad idea.
- The solution is not to kick this lousy family member out of the house, or exclude her from tagging along - I love this bit, it's stayed with me for the several years since I read Big Magic - rather, it's to invite her along on these creative adventures. Here's what Gilbert writes, "Dearest Fear: Apparently your job is to induce panic whenever I'm about to do anything interesting - and, may I say, you are superb at your job. So, by all means, keep doing your job, if you feel you must. But I will also be doing my job on this road trip, which is to work hard and stay focused."
- Pushing the fear away, for me, always results in a skirmish that disrupts the interesting thing I had in mind. Fear fights back. But allowing her to come along, without giving her any power to control how the adventure unfolds, is revolutionary in its simplicity.
- With fear safely in the back seat, I can turn to focus. And welcome her, this newcomer, to the family.
- Creativity asks you to enter into realms of uncertainty, Gilbert says. Fear loathes uncertainty. So, she'll put all her energy into sowing doubt and pestering you with thoughts of unworthiness, then convince you the time and effort to write an essay, design a new layout for your flower bed, or learn to play the fiddle just isn't worth it. In fact, fear can be so compelling that she has you buying into the notion your creative effort is actually a bad idea.- The solution is not to kick this lousy family member out of the house, or exclude her from tagging along - I love this bit, it's stayed with me for the several years since I read Big Magic - rather, it's to invite her along on these creative adventures. Here's what Gilbert writes, "Dearest Fear: Apparently your job is to induce panic whenever I'm about to do anything interesting - and, may I say, you are superb at your job. So, by all means, keep doing your job, if you feel you must. But I will also be doing my job on this road trip, which is to work hard and stay focused."
- Pushing the fear away, for me, always results in a skirmish that disrupts the interesting thing I had in mind. Fear fights back. But allowing her to come along, without giving her any power to control how the adventure unfolds, is revolutionary in its simplicity.
- With fear safely in the back seat, I can turn to focus. And welcome her, this newcomer, to the family.
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