Creating is what we do. In this realm, there are generally two moments of fear we all face. First is the fear of starting. The fear of facing the blank page, screen, or recorder. The fear of what might happen when we actually get started. This is a fear we must learn to conquer if we want to ever create great art.

Usually the equation goes like this:

First, we identify a problem.
Then, we come up with an idea.
Here, we’ve faced our first fear – the fear of starting.
Then, we go in and work. We build, we craft, we battle.
Here is where we face the second scariest moment of creation – the moment we have to share our art with others.

There are a few things that happen when we give in to this moment of creation:

• We procrastinate until the very last minute so we don’t have to make any changes. We would rather be wrong then be corrected.
• We blow our deadline, which then impacts trust.
• We create in a vacuum that limits our ability to build teamwork and risks art that won’t connect.
• We isolate our teammates and lose equity that we wish we had around our projects.

These moments are selfish and prideful, causing us to think that outside input won’t make our art better. Succumbing to these moments will only continue to feed the monster of fear that crippled us in the first place. Creating requires us to learn how to be brave and face our fears. Embracing these scary moments of creation is where we actually provide our ideas the opportunity to get better and actually make a difference in the world. It never will get any easier than it is today, but if we commit to beating our fear, we will make a difference.

Do you battle with the two moments of fear inside creativity?