National Blog Posting Month

What Do You Find is Your Greatest Challenge?

As a creative blogger and someone trying to live a creative life, what do you find is the greatest block to you doing so? What's your greatest challenge? What do you imagine would support you in getting past that?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by OpenBookJen on November 3, 2007 at 12:57pm: It took me a minute to get up the nerve to join this group. And therein lies my greatest challenge. I have too much self-doubt about pursuing those things that live passionately in me. Out of a warped sense of fear of rejection or of having my efforts not being taken seriously? I don't know. But I joined. I did. Hopefully being here with some like-minded souls will help me take the steps I've long mapped out but never followed.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Teri on November 3, 2007 at 7:22pm: 'Alone' time is probably my biggest block. I need to be with people and see places for inspiration but I also need to spend time with myself and let my creativity loose.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Bee on November 4, 2007 at 12:39pm: ... having to tidy up after my last really good idea/incident.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Turtleheart on November 4, 2007 at 1:19pm: Perfectionism. Definitely my biggest block. When I have an idea of something I want to create, I hold off doing it because I'm afraid it won't be perfect the very first time. I need to let go and just allow myself to play with my ideas more, experience and enjoy the creative *process*.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kim on November 4, 2007 at 2:55pm: I find my biggest block and greatest challenge is getting beyond the procrastinating-think-time and just starting! It's kind of like thinking about unloading the dishwasher... it nags me and I push it out of my head and it nags again and after an hour or so, I finally just unload it, it takes no time, it's done, I'm happy. And so it goes with most creative projects for me - getting over the procrastination hurdle is often overwhelming. I've learned to set up times and specific goals to help mitigate that feeling.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Heather on November 4, 2007 at 6:38pm: I think my greatest challenge is convincing myself that I actually have something of value to say. I have to ignore that inner critic that says, "That's stupid," "Who will care about that?" "Just give up now." I have to stop editing myself and just write!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sarah on November 4, 2007 at 8:57pm: For me, the biggest roadblocks are time and space. Oh, and procrastination - staying on the computer looking at everyone else's creativity!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jamie on November 5, 2007 at 6:08am: Hmm, so would you say that the biggest challenge is getting to the page, the canvas, the dance floor, etc? The roadblocks take a variety of shapes (time, space, confidence) but they usually show up in the same place - between you and starting?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kim on November 5, 2007 at 7:56am: Well said. I think that's why having "getting started" rituals are helpful - whatever they are: making lists; sharpening pencil; warm up exercises (like blind contour drawings); etc.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Shannon on November 5, 2007 at 8:50am: Time and space are blocks I find. The time that isn't already allocted to something else, and the space - I don't ever have one set up right now!

Having a welcoming, functioning enviornment would be the best helper I think!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by NM on November 5, 2007 at 10:58pm: I find that living creatively is as much a pattern as developing the habit of breathing - but just like breathing, it's something that we'd ultimately pay to do, rather than it pay us to do.

I do live a creative life, professionally, although that has it's limits. My real outlet is in the daily sketches and craft ideas that crowd my brain, and interfere with things like: remember mother's day/taking out the trash. So far, it's not been a hardship, but you recognize the conflicts where they lie.

I'm a truly visual person - proven dyslexic auditorially. I can't remember names/numbers to save my life, unless I can visualize them in my head. Fortunately, there's a lot going on in that head, so the cameras are always running.

creative goals: to be less income dependant regarding picking projects to pursue, and embracing a long project span as a BENEFIT, rather than a disadvantage.

What can I say? I'm dyslexic AND have ADD. Who doesn't??? [grin]; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Samuel John Klein on November 6, 2007 at 6:06am: My greatest challenge is myself. As I tell people, the only things between me and my goals are me...and my goals.

Right now the biggest challenge per se I can name is a combination of a grindingly dull job I can't seem to pry my way out of and a decided lack of funds. Latterly, for instance, I was able to find a nice new portfolio case–but I have no money for the museum board I'll need for it, and inkjet ink being what it is, I've got to use the printer sparingly. The job is a hold-back mostly because It's graveyards and weekends, which cut my chances for networking amongst other designers to essentially nil–that and the job I am in is so stultifying that it's just about ground all the creativity out of me.

I don't have any trouble joining groups tho...; ▶ Reply to This