Do you have a lot of ideas in your head? Maybe you think up various creative ventures, and don’t know how to start them? Small Steps To Big Results : Facing Overwhelm As A Creative – let’s shut out the noise and distractions.
As a creative, working for yourself or just for your own pleasure, is a wonderful thing. Creating your own art from your own ideas is magical. Once you start, it can lead you down more paths, a whole world opens up to you with possibilities. You may find yourself travelling down a path you hadn’t planned or really know where it leads. You may change your product or idea – it may naturally adapt and change as you grow as a creative. Anything is possible, it’s all part of the process.
But sometimes too much can come too soon. So many ideas and suggestions from people to improve your business. Then there’s everything extra on top – marketing and branding, pricing your work, trying new designs or collections, collaborations and so much more.
Do you have so many ideas that it’s slowing you down and you find yourself hesitant to keep going?
You might wonder if you are indeed going down the right path, or should you be looking at a new venture altogether. Once the doubt sets in, it can be difficult to shut out the noise…
Overwhelm From Constant Ideas
According to Oxford dictionary, Overwhelm means ‘bury or drown beneath a huge mass of something“
So you may have too much to think of in your creative business, or you just have so many new ideas unrelated to your creative business that it’s steering you away from what you had started…
Facing Overwhelm As A Creative? Slow Down…
Some personality types have an abundance of ideas and can think up many new business ventures. They see a gap in the market, and already have a constant stream of projects to get through, when another idea presents itself. This can be exciting, thinking up a venture that might just work! But if you’ve already started a venture, you could face overwhelm due to that ‘shiny new object’ syndrome.
It can be difficult to remain focussed, and not be tempted by new things, especially when those ideas sound a lot more exciting and lucrative.
I said Slow Down!
Creating is very demanding. To create something from nothing takes up a lot of brain space, and throw in the distractions of “oh that would be a good idea” can throw you off course altogether!
Now, why do we put pressure on ourselves? Causing overwhelm.
Could it be the fear of missing out? That the best idea might pass us by if we don’t act on it. Someone else might grab it, then where will that leave us?
We can’t do everything. It may be that you are particularly great at coming up with the initial idea, but could you follow these ideas through? Would you be interested in it even after 2 years pursuing it?
Whatever may be the reason for you to be overwhelmed, you have too many ideas to focus on – let’s help ease the load.
Small Steps To Big Results : Facing Overwhelm As A Creative. Here’s where to start:
A dedicated notebook.
Write down ideas for your creative venture, or if you have ideas completely unrelated to your work, make sure to write them down and keep them together. If you know you have a trusty notebook with certain ideas, you’ll be able to go through them when the time is right for you.
Let it go.
You can’t do everything! Your ideas are logged somewhere safe, so you have permission to let it go and focus back on your current project.
One small step at a time.
You want to work on something, but feel overwhelmed? What is it you are gravitating towards above anything else? Make this your priority to break down into manageable chunks.
If you need to focus more, why not create habits around your day to encourage this work. For example, if you need to write, then using the same time of day – sit in the same area in your house, have a cup of something and keep your notebook/laptop open. Whatever that gets you feeling excited about your work and tells your brain “it is time to work/create”
Go Your Own Way
There’s nothing wrong in hitting pause on your ideas, especially if you find they are overwhelming you. Take small bite size chunks in the direction you want to go in. Everything else can be placed to the side and can be looked at again when the time is right. It’s you creating your own overwhelm, remember that – so you need to create a new way of looking at your work. Your power is in your mindset.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Have you faced overwhelm as a creative? I’d love to hear what you implement if you would like to share below..
If you enjoyed this, please have a peek at my previous post – Don’t wait for your passion to grow, just pick something now!
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