Do you find yourself creatively blocked because of what other people think? Are you worried about what other people will say about your work? It’s time to start naming names. 

Nothing ruins good writing like trying to sound cool. 

Have you felt it? That nagging feeling like you don’t belong? That there are thousands of people way better than you at whatever it is you’re trying to do? The pit in your stomach that someone will ask you a question you can’t answer, then call you out for being a poser?

Dr. B.J. Fogg says a golden behavior has three criteria…

One of the darkest places creative people can go in their minds is asking themselves whether or not they should create today. We consider a few ideas, thinking of what to create. None of them feel good enough.

What if confidence was different than other emotions? What if it wasn’t an emotion at all? What if we could choose to tailor our thought process to increase our confidence? 

The most ideal way to write a book is to live in a cabin in the woods with no distractions. 

“Why don’t I have 100,000 followers? My content is good enough.” Have you ever had a thought like this before?

We just launched the second cohort of the 15-Day Creative Consistency Challenge. Each day, a small group of artists and creators will share one creative deliverable on a supportive community platform. There are daily lessons and creative prompts to get the juices flowing. 

Everyone wants to create a smash hit: a movie or a book or a song that is instantly popular, and remains meaningful for decades thereafter. In order to do this, you have to balance popularity and longevity. 

Occasionally, I’d hit a “hot streak” and write four or five blogs I was really excited about on back-to-back days. I also discovered dry periods—days when I had no good ideas, no inspiration, and not much desire to write. 

Everyone is busy. Even great composers and Nobel Prize winning authors. The difference between you and people who create great work is not a clearer schedule or more resources or a DNA of genius. 

Art urges voyages.

Saying “I don’t feel like creating today” is one thing. Allowing those feelings to dictate whether or not you do create today is what separates dreamers from their dreams. 

“If I force myself to create every single day, won’t I get tired, uninspired, and won’t it suck the passion out of my art?” This is a fair question.

This self-focused view made my upcoming talk nerve-racking. As I prepared for the talk, I had a third-person imagination of myself, thinking about how people would view me, how I would sound, and if I would come across as cool and smart.

Sure, on paper, you could make an argument that your assets are a better value, or higher quality than your competition. But if the experience of service is not up to the client’s expectations, it doesn’t matter. 

You can read about it, talk about it, listen to podcasts about it, plan for it, vision-board it, and dream about it. But none of those things teach you even close to the amount you will learn once you finally…do it. 

“Don’t try to write a book; try to become somebody who enjoys writing everyday.”

If you’ve ever wondered how these advertising agencies and production companies get away with charging more than $100,000 for a 30-second Instagram video shot on an iPhone, I’m about to tell you.