Lived Experience Forum

[Loiter]

I've been a musician my whole life but I really struggle with keeping up a consistent practice, and I'd also really like to write songs but I struggle with that too.  I just get this awful prickly feeling each time I sit down to play.  When I practice, I worry that I'll never finish learning the piece or make it sound good.  When I write, I worry that what I'm writing is silly or no-one wants to hear it.  I know that neither of those things are really true, I've received plenty of praise for my skills, but still this feeling persists.

Has anybody else here had similar problems with creativity?  What things have helped you?

[greenpea]

@LoiterHi Loiter and welcome :D. I am having great difficulty doing my studies. I just cannot focus or retain anything. I am sure it is a mixture of my medications and also my diagnosis (schitzoaffective disorder). I have no brilliant ideas on how to over come these sorts of problems just wanted to say you are no alone. Love greenpeax

[Zoe7]

Hi @Loiter and welcome to the forum.

I have a lot of problems with motivation or creativity to paint. Once I get an idea and get started I can usually keep going until it is done but I have several paintings begun and not finished. For me I have to throw my whole heart into something but too often it feels like I have nothing in me to continue. The one thing I have learnt is that the process just happen when it does - pushing it brings on more anxiety and less productivity. I also write but it is the same thing for writing - need the inspiration, energy and heartspace to be able to do that too. I don't think there are any real answers here though - it is very much an individual thing but for me pushing it always leads me to feeling I can't do it rather than just letting the process happen when it does. We need to enjoy those things we love otherwise it begins to become a chore - painting, writing, music shoud never be those things. This probably doesn't help you much but my perspective on the creativity process is 'just let it happen' as that is when we produce what we are happiest with.

[Appleblossom]

Hullo @Loiter Welcome

There are lots of creative people here, who all probably have their "moments".

@Zoe7that point about pushing bringing up anxiety is one I will work with.  There is so much pressure in music to be disciplined, that it can squash other aspects.

@greenpeaYou still have a lot to deal with, but I hope you find a level of creativity that suits you soon.

[mandarinpj]

I have always had an interest in drawing and last year I really made a commitment to upskill and get the basics right, it was a huge boost to the ego to be finally able to draw the shapes and forms in my mind. Then BAM! after the techniques it was always self-doubt and no motivation as to what do I want to draw, where am I going to put it? on my own wall? social media? send to friends? (which I dont really have).

Then this month, there was an initiative for daily drawing challenge called #sketchtember, and because i didn't care, I just wanted to participate, each piece I drew I went for the silliest style and aimed to have an incomplete feel, THAT sparked joy. In fact I have this ink style one drawn on a sketchbook on my desk, and I really like it, because its only creativity and not skill/technique based piece.

so I realised, I feel more excited and motivated when I just keep drawing at its creativity level and totally keep the skill part out of it, no refinement, just as basic and as pure as it can be.