One of the most frequently asked questions I get when coaching is, “How am I supposed to create when I’m not inspired?”
(Short video HERE)
It’s a hard question to answer because the answer isn’t what most people want to hear:
You just do it.
This is where the "professional" in "professional creative" comes in. As a professional creative, creating is your job—9 to 5, five days a week. It doesn’t matter if you’re tired, uninspired, or "not feeling it today." You have a job, a deadline, and you need to hit it.
If you need to "wait for inspiration," you aren’t going to get the job done.
Doesn’t sound very "dream creative," does it? Well, at times, it isn’t. Depending on the industry you work in, you will inevitably be assigned to a project you don’t care about—whether it's a movie, a video game, or a toy line you don’t love.
Trust me, I’ve worked on a ton of bad movies.
But all of this is part of the job. That’s why I always tell creatives who feel like they’re in a rut to nourish their own creative sides.
Find an outlet that’s on your terms. It can be painting, writing poetry, photography—heck, for me, it’s restoring vintage monster model kits. It doesn’t have to be something that “makes sense” or enhances your career. This is for you, and it’s something you can do when you feel inspired, with no deadlines and nobody directing you.
That’s not to say you won’t also have work that you love! I’ve worked on a ton of movies I was thrilled to be a part of (and that isn’t just the blockbusters—one of my favorite times in VFX was on Starship Troopers 2!) and countless toy lines—way more good than bad.
Creativity is like a muscle, and it needs to be exercised. Whether that’s paper mâché sculptures or working on your indie film, find your outlet, and your soul will thank you!
Commentaires