I checked the internet. It appears I’ve coined an expression. Perhaps Steven Pressfield will include it as a form of “resistance” in his updated publication of The War of Art (were he to do so.) I recently read his book, which covers the reasons we delay doing artful things. For me, the name of that resistance is “Creativity Grenade.”
Like a mood killer, but specifically applying to creative endeavors, the Creativity Grenade – once tossed – makes you want to discontinue writing/painting/composing etc. Unlike a “spoil sport,” the tosser of the Creativity Grenade actually appreciates what you are doing and wants to have a role in it. This role can be either welcome or unwelcome.
My creativity explodes with everything from constructive bits of feedback (that I’ve asked for!), questions or actions of bad timing, and my own attention span. Here are the most annoying to me:
- The subject of your interest does not approve of the inspiration photo
- Finding the perfect meme or photo and having to sort through the licensing bits (thus I never use them)
- Finally getting some quiet time and realizing the cat knows how to open the door to your new office
- Power surges/outages
- Getting caught up in the significance (insignificance?) of your writing metrics
- Technical difficulties with your website and updates to WordPress
- House hold distractions like bills and laundry
The last one is big for me. I often get ideas for writing by going on long walks or to museums. Then when I return, I see a dirty dish in the sink or a cat fluff and swooooosh, there goes the creative idea. Since writing the first draft of this, I have claimed a room in our home as my private office, hubby has cat- proofed the door and I have calmed down.
What type of Creativity Grenades do you experience? What do you do to mitigate them? Let me know in the comments.
ARTISTIC PENSION 
This post made me smile. 🙂
My Creativity Grenade is that I’m a great procrastinator when it comes to writing. I have so much travel content to share that I don’t know where to start.
I post every week and make sure it’s at least 1,000 words, so as the week nears, I get a little panicky. I find that having a couple of months’ worth of posts scheduled in advance slows the pressure down. It takes me a lot of hours to get a post ready as I include so many photos, so, selecting, copyrighting, reducing, uploading to WP, tagging, blah, blah- it’s relentless.
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According to Pressfield, procrastination is the “most common manifestation of resistance.” Sounds like you’re in good company. This reader finds your travel essays worth waiting for! Thanks for commenting!
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Thank you, Travey, that’s very kind of you to say. 🙂
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Duty calls…paying the bills, doing the house chores, taking care of the garden, menus for the week, food shopping…you know the drill. I was raised really well to delay gratification and so my colored pencil artwork sits quietly in my studio wondering if I will ever return.
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Oh, you definitely need to. You are so talented! But yes, all those things associated with managing the home take time. And I didn’t even mentioning the garden – very time consuming.
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Dog, chores, spending time with hubs, etc…and the busy mind…planning way too many projects rather than getting the creative work done one at a time. Facebook/Instagram and the need to upload, post, updating website, sending emails – answering inquiries, communicating with potential commissioners, volunteer work, and the Summer heat…
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So much, I know! It probably helps some that you have clients, but still. You need to feel it! I’m still thinking about that amazing portrait you did the other day.
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Thank you about the dog portrait. ❤
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Can training a puppy be my creativity grenade?!
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Yes! Especially if there’s an “oops!”
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Right now my garden is my creativity grenade – love that term, btw!
But then I think, is it really though?
After all, I am expressing my creativity in the creation of this garden. But I have not painted a damn thing since I started planning and realizing the garden. What would be the term for when you have so many creative projects you want to accomplish and your current one prevents you from working on any of the others? 🤣 “A nice problem to have”, perhaps?
Deb
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That’s a really good question Deb. Thanks for asking it. I’ve been frustrated because I normally like to write and just haven’t been. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been doing anything creative. Creating a garden is a huge creative effort – as is its maintenance, but so worth it! Maybe you are experiencing a creativity explosion!
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Yeah, maybe I should cut back on the micro-dosing 🤣🤣🤣
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Haha!
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Ooooh, there are so many head-nodding moments of affirmation in this post, Tracey. My last post took me forever to come up with an idea, and thankfully the inspiration was provided by a news article.
I definitely hear you on all those dissonant moments that kill creative thoughts (dirty dishes, dirty floors, siblings who won’t stop calling, etc.). When you finally are experiencing something close to a breakthrough, it can then get lost in all the noise of life and “poof!,” it’s suddenly gone from your brain the following day. 😩 Images are indeed problematic. Finding that one to be at the top can take me forever mostly, as you correctly point out, because of permission issues. I’m like you in that I ultimately give up on it if it’s taking too long to figure it out. Only twice have I ever paid for an image. And don’t get me started with WordPress and their constant i>improvements!
I do find driving can sometimes help with coming up with a topic. Either by hearing something on the radio, or perhaps just experiencing the movement of the road, with the brain somehow in sync with it? I just know one thing: the process is never the same! – Marty
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And what affirming comments Marty! I’m glad it’s not just me. I can’t imagine if I had to rely on my writing for an income. I’d be in trouble. OK then, let’s not talk about WP. Haha!
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Creative Grenade is a brilliant term. I relate. Finding an image to go with a blog post is one of my Creative Grenades. I often just give up and plop a generic *nothing much* on a post instead of finding the *perfect* one I wanted. I also find that now that my husband is retired and around the house all day long he can be a Creative Grenade. I get writing, head into my thoughts, and *pow* he wants to know where we keep something, can’t find it, needs help locating it. You understand.
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Ally, Exactly! I do understand, especially the bit about husbands asking questions. But mine also gives me good blogging ideas too, so no worries about that.
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Sorry to be so late to comment on this, Tracey, but I’m just now getting caught up on your posts… and this was such a great one!
I can completely relate to creativity grenades… they are everywhere. I’m a PRO-crastinator and an expert in getting distracted by squirrels (they are everywhere!). Here’s a big one: Because I don’t usually blog while we are on a trip, I fully intend to blog about our travels when I get back BUT: 1) After I’m back, there are so many things to take care of, and 2) The further away from our trip the less likely I am to want to write about it.
I can also relate to what Deb said. Sometimes I have so many creative things I want to do – write, take and edit photographs, paint (poorly) – that I flit about not really finishing anything.
Oh well, it seems that we are in good company.
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Yes, we are in great company. I got some really good comments on this one. I understand the travel post dilemma. I’m usually a few months behind, if I even post anything. Good news is, we get to travel!
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