How to Tackle Fear and Resistance in your Creative Work
Resistance - let’s talk about it. This is an important one. My last few posts have been about the early stages of creating...how to navigate idea overwhelm, create a plan and have an idea of timing and it’s about at this point, once you have that plan in place and you are beginning to see things more clearly, that resistance likes to creep up and slow you down.
Resistance can show up in many different ways, such as fear, doubt, avoidance, or procrastination. It is a sneaky force that makes us not want to move forward. It makes us feel so uncomfortable that we’ll want to stay small and safe inside our cozy little bubble. And let’s face it, the majority of people choose this option. But know - that there is a different way.
According to The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield, “Resistance cannot be seen, heard touched or smelled. But it can be felt. We experience it as an energy field radiating from a work-in-potential. It’s a repelling force. It’s negative. It’s aim is to shove us away, distract us, prevent us from doing our work. Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within in. Between the two stands Resistance."
So what are we to do? Much like navigating life with a difficult family member, or a frustrating co-worker, we have to learn to know that it’s out there and expect it to make an appearance at anytime. Because when we know it’s coming, we can prepare ourselves, we can do the personal work involved in getting through it and we can exist alongside it.
So first know this - every creative act will involve some bit of resistance, so here are a few ways you can work through it:
Breathe and understand that it’s just a part of the work you do.
Get to know it by noticing how it feels in your body, how your mind reacts, where it stems from, if it has a voice, where it lingers. (I know this is starting to sound a bit spooky, but the reality is, it can be very sneaky and treating it almost like a real person, allows us to coexist with it, very similar to working alongside fear).
Lean into your support system. A coach, a mentor and friend. When you feel yourself resisting something, talk it out rather than keeping it in your head. This is hands down the most powerful thing you can do.
Take a break - often just changing scenery, going for a walk, grabbing a fresh cup of tea, then coming back to your work, is enough to capture a new bout of confidence and momentum and bypass any resistance you were feeling.
Connect back with yourself and remember your why. A great way to do this is to fill our my Creative Companion, which will guide you through different ways to dig deep and acknowledge why it is you do what you do.
Remember, when resistance makes an appearance, it likely means you are heading in the right direction and doing something truly worthwhile (because if it didn’t show up, it’s be much easier and everyone would be doing it).
How have you noticed resistance showing up in your own life? How did you work through it and what did you learn? I’d love to hear from you, perhaps we can chat over a cup of tea!