The habit of creativity

In his book 'Atomic Habits', James Clear writes:

'The most effective form of motivation is progress'

Often we want to be creative but get caught in a trap of our own making.

We feel our work's not good enough, so we don't make work.

We don't make work, so our work doesn't improve.

So when we do, finally, make something, it's not good enough.

Creative paralysis.

You pick up the guitar once a month and hate that you can't play how you want to.

You draw a picture and it's shapeless and dull.

You write a poem and it doesn't resonate.

So you stop.

I paint a lot these days. I sell my paintings online and at art fairs (Fanad Art: John Britton). It's a passion that is also a profession.

The other day I decided to explore working in charcoal. Partly because I like charcoal, partly because want to do some block printing, and working in charcoal is a way to prepare.

So I decided to draw a fox from a photo.

You know what?

The first attempt was awful.

So was the second.

The third was pretty lousy.

The fourth and fifth were a lot better.

The evident improvement motivated me to continue.

'The most effective form of motivation is progress'

It's pretty simple: if you want a creative aspect to your daily life, create a habit of creativity. Day-by-day improvment becomes its own motivation.

The photo below is of some of my later fox sketches. I'll not show the early ones. Why? Because they're private: just like the sounds from your guitar when you first pick it up, or the first draft of a poem. Creativity is a private place that - if we choose - we later share with the world.