We don’t know our true capability.
The hardest part of creation is doing it consistently. Most folks think lightning in a bottle when it comes to creation. Only it isn’t like that. Creation done best is done daily. It is a habit. It is a practice. It is a choice. We wake up and we write. We wake up and we paint. We wake up and we face the blank canvas. At 4 AM. On a Saturday. And we lie in bed thinking about creating. We wonder, “Who does this? What crazy person does this?” And then we get after it for time is of the essence.
No one says, “I am creative.”
Creativity is endless and bottomless. It is a well that never runs dry. It rewards us so long as we are dedicated to it. It isn’t a statement, “I am creative” or “I am a creator.” It is a practice. (Nobody says those things, anyway. Ridiculous.) It is in the doing that we receive the reward. It also isn’t magic as much as those would like it to be. The “magic,” too, is in the doing, the practice, performing the reps.
We want to have written.
So many want to have written. They don’t really want to write. They desire the accolade, the award, the prestige. They don’t want to wake up at 4 AM on a Saturday and write. They want it written already. They want the work done for them. They want the blog with years’ worth of blog posts and traffic and a big list. They want New York Times’ best sellers without sweating the work they require. Duh. Who doesn’t? Only there is work to be done. There are deadlines to meet. Blog posts do not write themselves.
Conditions are never perfect.
People often talk about conditions needing to be perfect in order for them to create. They need the perfect room. They need the perfect lighting. They need the perfect time of year. They need no distractions. They need the perfect laptop. They need the perfect Microsoft Word. They need the perfect writing instrument and the perfect paper. They certainly need the perfect time of day. As soon as each of these conditions are met, then they’ll begin the creative work. Only conditions are never perfect, especially if you have a 3 year old. Further, working among and through the chaos is a sign of strength. If you can produce Prolific Quality Output when conditions are not even close to perfect, what are you capable of when they are near perfect? If you choose to write despite the obstacles, what else can you do? How good are you?
We don’t know our true capability.
The truth is we don’t know what we’re capable of. This should inspire you. Take a moment and think, “What else can I do that I’m unsure of?” Since most of us constantly undermine ourselves, we are vastly more talented and capable than we think.
Feedback is often elusive.
Feedback is often elusive. We don’t know the impact we have on others. If you stopped creating and sharing, who would miss you? Don’t you have people in your life you miss who once created and shared regularly with you? Where did they go? Who needs to hear from you right now?
