I cannot be creative if I am too stressed or not in the right emotional state. In today’s world, many people experience stress but still manage to be creative, and I’m no exception – even when I’m stressed. So what do I do to deal with it? Or rather, what do I try to do?
I call it “poor man’s Cognitive Behavioral Therapy” because it works pretty much like CBT. At least that is my understanding as a layman who has read a summary of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy once. That means don’t take this as a definitive source or professional advice.
Anyway, here’s how it works: When you’re emotionally upset, tell yourself how you want to feel in the present moment. For example, if you’re stressed and tired and don’t feel like working on your drawing, you’d say: “I am relaxed and awake and in the mood to work on my drawing”. Repeat this several times. Try to avoid negative words like “not” (for example, use “relaxed” instead of “not stressed”).
These are positive affirmations that can help challenge and overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts. Repeating them often and believing in them can lead to positive changes. I’ve included below some scientific research showing that this practice can improve your creative problem-solving, even under stress, and increase your overall creativity.
How To Do Positive Affirmations
Identify the problem that is bothering you.
Say the complete opposite of it without using negative words like “not”.
Repeat it as often as possible throughout the day and whenever the problem arises.
That’s it.
It may or may not help you as much as it helped me. But it is worth a try. As a tip, try to believe it. Only if your mind believes it will it come true.
A Few Of My Go-To Self-Affirmations
I’m having fun – In situations where I’m struggling to work on something that isn’t fun.
I can do it – When I doubt myself. I say it every time I meditate (I do autogenic training)
I am calm and relaxed – In stressful situations. Often needed in public places because of my anxiety.
I’m a pro – I got it from “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield. Just so I take myself more seriously when I create things.
It’s the fixed mindset – from the book ‘Growth Mindset’ by Carol Dweck. I use it when I try to avoid things, procrastinate or have self-doubt.
I’m fit and awake – When I’m tired and still want to focus on something.
I am a patient person – When I lose my patience.
This effort is pleasant – When I am doing something really hard. Should release some dopamine after a while, according to a podcast by Andrew Huberman.
Mistakes are OK – When I’m drawing crap again.
More To Read
If you enjoyed this topic, you might find these related posts helpful:
How Self-Efficacy Can Help You Succeed! – Explore how believing in your abilities can boost your confidence and drive, leading to greater success in your creative endeavors.
Play the Role of Your Future Self – Learn how envisioning your future self can guide your current decisions and actions, helping you stay motivated and focused on your goals.
Both posts offer valuable insights to enhance your creative journey and personal growth.
Sources
David R. de Buisonjé, Simone M. Ritter, Suze de Bruin, J. Marie-Louise ter Horst & Arne Meeldijk (2017) Facilitating Creative Idea Selection: The Combined Effects of Self-Affirmation, Promotion Focus and Positive Affect, Creativity Research Journal, 29:2, 174-181, DOI: 10.1080/10400419.2017.1303308
M. Dutcher, Janine (2018). Improving Performance on a Creativity Task via Self-Affirmation. Carnegie Mellon University. Thesis. https://doi.org/10.1184/R1/6686096.v1
Creswell JD, Dutcher JM, Klein WMP, Harris PR, Levine JM (2013) Self-Affirmation Improves Problem-Solving under Stress. PLOS ONE 8(5): e62593. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0062593
Perfectionism can be good! But you need the right one, because there are two different types: Adaptive and Maladaptive Perfectionism. As an adaptive perfectionist (the better type of perfectionism), you have high-performance expectations but allow yourself small mistakes for the greater good. You have high standards and are more critical of your work to achieve good results. The best part about adaptive perfectionism is that creativity is maximized in people with moderately high levels of this type of perfectionism.
What is Maladaptive Perfectionism?
Maladaptive perfectionists (the type of perfectionism to avoid) are more likely to procrastinate because they try to avoid mistakes. They are more concerned about making mistakes and achieving high standards. They believe that they cannot make mistakes or do bad work because they want perfect results. As a result, maladaptive perfectionism hurts your performance!
You can have both types in different situations and to different degrees. The goal here is to try to use the adaptive one to your advantage and avoid the maladaptive one. I’ll show you four steps to move from maladaptive to adaptive perfectionism.
How to go from a Maladaptive to an Adaptive Perfectionism in 4 steps.
➡ Step 1: Identify your type of perfectionism and when it occurs
If you struggle with perfectionism, you probably already have the maladaptive type in the area where you experience this negative perfectionism. You probably wouldn’t consider it bad if it were the adaptive type. Try to find out why. Is there an area of your creative life where you allow yourself to make mistakes? If so, why? Find out where you struggle the most and where you want to be perfect but struggle less. The better you can identify your problems when they occur and how you have dealt with them in the past, the better you can change yourself.
Once you have done this, the next step is to try to change your maladaptive perfectionism into an adaptive one.
➡Step 2: Be aware of the challenging process and obstacles.
Fixing perfectionism itself is difficult, if not impossible. However, we can change how we react to these stressful experiences to reduce the negative effects. To do this, we need to change the self-criticism in us. We must begin to allow ourselves to make mistakes.
There will be obstacles and setbacks in this process of change. If you have ever tried to change, you know this. A bad day, something not working, not seeing progress, and much more can set you back to zero. Try to visualize the risks that could come your way to free yourself from your bad perfectionism. Lie down, close your eyes, and imagine how you can (and probably will) fail. Figure out in your mind’s eye how you are going to get over those failures. If you do this, you will be ready when the negative environment tries to stop you in the future!
To allow mistakes and to get better over obstacles and setbacks, we also need to change our mindset. It is not easy and it takes time, but it works. So be aware of the challenging process that awaits you.
➡ Step 3: Change your mindset.
There is a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. A fixed mindset is the belief that you can’t change. A growth mindset is the belief that skills are qualities that can be developed. A person with a growth mindset is allowed to make mistakes in order to get better.
Position yourself in a growth mindset. Just knowing that it exists will get you there. Then allow yourself to go out and fail. Try it actively. Do something where you have a bad case of maladaptive perfectionism and just make mistakes. Learn it, train your mindset. Figure out what you can learn from the mistakes you make. How can you improve? Remember that every mistake you make will make you much better than not making any mistakes at all.
Know that you can change this mindset and always remember this when you have problems with your perfectionism.
It would help if you had clear goals with a detailed plan of how you want to change. Write it down and put it where you can see it. Write down your “Why“! Why do you want to change? If you change, what will be better? Visualize how you will succeed and what benefits you will have. Imagine this just like the bad things from step 2. How will you feel if you succeed? What does it look like? Do this regularly and it will motivate you to change for the better.
If you don’t write your goals down, you’ll either forget them or not take them seriously. So don’t skip this step! It’s one of the easiest things to do and won’t take much time, although it has a big impact.
➡ Step 5: Build a habit!
This one right here is the cauldron of the whole process. The most important step! If you don’t cook this stuff every day, nothing will happen. Building habits is such a good way to change yourself. Yes, the process is long and it will take time. But you are getting older anyway. So why not change while you are on the road? To build a habit we use the way Charles Duhigg writes in his book “The Power of Habit“. A habit is made up of these three things: Cue ➡ Routine ➡ Reward. We break them down in our case of perfectionism.
Cue
The cue is when your perfectionism kicks in and prevents you from being productive. You don’t have to do anything if it’s adaptive perfectionism. Remember, this is the good kind! Just let it be. If you just can’t work, then it’s the bad kind of perfectionism, and we’ll use that as a cue for our new habit. So try to find those cues when your bad perfectionism strikes.
Routine
Usually, your routine was different. You gave up or got emotional about your creative work. Now we use what we learned in the previous steps: Why did maladaptive perfectionism strike you? Why isn’t it the adaptive kind? Can I change this? Did I make a mistake? Can I learn from it? Tell yourself that the way you feel right now is okay. That what you are doing is good. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Small mistakes are OK to get good results! This is where the growth mindset we talked about in Step 3 comes in!
Reward
The reward will be that you will feel better. That you can finish your work, even if you feel like you couldn’t finish it. Maybe you reward yourself with the feeling that you have overcome your maladaptive perfectionism and replaced it with an adaptive one. You can even experiment with other rewards, like taking a break or getting a nice cup of coffee or tea. See what works best for you.
Something more: Craving
There is also the craving that drives the habit. You will crave the rewards, and therefore you will do the habit automatically. So if you reward yourself with good things (like feeling better), then you will use that habit without hesitation when maladaptive perfectionism strikes!
Conclusion
If you use these steps, there is a chance that you will find a way out of the deep hole of maladaptive perfectionism. But remember, this is going to take a long time to fix. If you’re afraid it’s going to take too long, here’s a tip: It is always going to take a long time. There is no way around it. No shortcuts. That’s why it’s important to start NOW!
Sources
Wigert, B., Reiter-Palmon, R., Kaufman, J. C., & Silvia, P. J. (2012). Perfectionism: The good, the bad, and the creative. Journal of Research in Personality, 46(6), 775–779. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2012.08.007
Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2012). Mindsets That Promote Resilience: When Students Believe That Personal Characteristics Can Be Developed. Educational Psychologist, 47(4), 302–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2012.722805
Duhigg, C. (2012). The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business(1 edition). Random House.
Keep going! Creativity is like an adventure. It’s not a fast race, but a steady walk toward something amazing. So here’s the deal: with every brushstroke, keystroke, or musical note, you’re not just creating art; you’re creating your own story of growth and improvement.
Sure, there are days when the creative juices seem to be on vacation and doubt tries to sneak in. But let me tell you something important – don’t give up. Remember why you began this journey. Each stroke is like a mini-victory, a little lesson that makes you better and brighter.
Your creative journey is not just about what you put on paper or canvas. It’s about becoming the great artist you want to be. Think of each stroke as a small but powerful step toward mastering your craft. Don’t worry about perfection; mistakes are your friends. They’re the secret sauce that adds flavor to your creative recipe.
Look back at where you started. See the progress? Keep going! You’re not just an artist: you’re a magician who works miracles with every creative endeavor. Remember, even the pros weren’t born pros-they worked hard, learned, and kept going.
Never stop, because your potential is limitless. You’re not defined by the challenges you face. You’re defined by your ability to overcome them in your own creative journey. Embrace the bumps, celebrate the victories, and enjoy the whole creative process.
Your journey is unique, and the world needs your creative voice. Each stroke adds a chapter to your life’s masterpiece. So embrace the process, don’t fear imperfection, and keep going. Your creativity knows no bounds, and with each stroke, you’re creating something extraordinary. Remember, the journey may be long, but the joy of creating is endless.
The relationship with your art can be bad and you could not even notice it. Like every other relationship, you need to treat it with care. It is important, so you will stay creative. You can’t be creative with the negativity surrounding you. As a result, you will feel stressed and in a bad mood.
A good mentality and mindset with your art or design work is an important way to keep you motivated and productive. To check this I made a little guide for you. Check out the left column of the picture below. Is this something you say to yourself or that you do? If so, try to change your mindset to the right column. Then you turn the relationship between your art and your creative work into a healthy one.
Don’t try to force it. This thing doesn’t change in a night. But try to remember the healthy way to see things, when your thoughts turn bad again. Print this picture out and put it somewhere where you work. Then you can always look at it and check if your relationship with your art is on the right track. Or rather, on the right column.
If you enjoy this, feel free to share this guide. You can also join my newsletter, I will sometimes write one and share some thoughts and ideas for the creative life we all enjoy. Or not sometimes.
Check out Mindset by Carol S. Dweck for more info about this topic. Even knowing about the good (growth) mindset puts you in the right place to get you in the right direction.
If you don’t want to read a whole book about it, don’t worry. Here are some action steps you can take right now to change your mindset.
Know yourself Start by noticing when you think, “I’m just not good at this”. Recognize those moments and try to change them. Instead of thinking you can’t tell yourself you can learn with some effort.
Positive Vibes Only When your inner voice starts to be all negative, challenge it. Change those “I can’t” thoughts to “I can do this with some practice” or “Mistakes help me get better”.
Accept the challenge Embrace challenges like they’re your new best friend! Don’t see them as obstacles: see them as opportunities to improve your skills and intelligence.
Criticism is good Criticism isn’t your enemy. It’s your guide to a better self. Think of it as helpful feedback that can make you better. Use it as a map for your personal development journey.
Effort is Everything It’s not just about the final result. The effort you put in is everything. The more you hustle and put in the work, the more progress you’ll see.
Celebrate the victories Stop obsessing about the big win. Celebrate the small wins, the small improvements. Every step forward is a win in the game of a positive mindset.
Bounce Back: Failures and setbacks happen – that’s good. Instead of freaking out, see them as opportunities to learn and bounce back stronger. Remember that setbacks are just pit stops on your creative journey.
Keep It Curious Stay curious and keep the love of creativity alive. Try new things, explore random things, and be open to absorbing knowledge from all kinds of places.
