Why creative time doesn’t have to be “worthwhile”

Showing up for your creativity, whether a few minutes a week or hours daily doesn’t have to be worthwhile. That is, if by worthwhile you mean it has to be worth it in terms of time or money.

Doing creative work doesn’t have to be worthwhile. Showing up for your creative side, whether minutes or hours in your week, does not have to be “time well spent.”

A fair few of my creativity coaching clients are perfectionists. I’m a recovering perfectionist myself, so I know the damaging effects of this type of fear. We tend to have high expectations of ourselves. It’s ok for others to fail and do mediocre work, but it’s not ok for us. Oh no, we have to be excellent at all times!! Even at the very beginning. In fact, especially at the very beginning, so no one can see we’re beginners ;-)

Clearly, I’m lovingly mocking us here, but it is kinda important to address this thinking that creativity has to be worthwhile in terms of time, goal, or money.

Where the “worthwhile” story comes from

You may carry a story with you that creative work is not “real” work, serious work, or respected work. This story may be linked to the story of there not being money in creative work, in art, in being an artist, a creative …

So, if we have to take time out of our serious, busy, real lives to be creative, it has to be worthwhile, ie. it has to “pay off”.

For most of us, this is proper bad news, as our creative work won’t be worthwhile in terms of money for years. Bummer! So we stop or don’t begin in the first place.

Finding a new worthwhile

We, as creatives/humans, are driven by … something. If the little voice inside is telling you to create something, and you’re long off it being financially worthwhile, you’d be doing your creative self a favor by finding a new worthwhile.

The point is to remove the pressure put on your creativity. Pressure is a massive creative block, so to give your creativity a fair chance to come forward and grow, I invite you to find a way to look at your creative efforts without any pressure at all.

Spending precious time with myself is a favorite “worthwhile” of mine. Exploring my thoughts, using my hands, or looking for something visually appealing, are all little “worthwhiles” for me.

But what if you’re working on a project?

If you’re working on a project, and there is a purpose to your work, you can still try and remove any pressure of trying to create at a certain standard.

Whatever project you might be working on, I bet it’s not gold nuggets that come out every time you sit down (or stand). Even if what you produce today is utter tat, it’s definitely still worth it.

The point is, to try and remove this notion, that doing creative work, or art of any kind, has to have a purpose, and has to be worth it somehow, often in the eyes of others. It doesn’t, actually. Practicing creativity is always worth it, no matter how bad it is. Most of it will be. Also, it’s worth it if no one likes it. Even if YOU don’t like it. Nobody is a brilliant surgeon on the first day of medical school. Just like you’re not going to be a brilliant creator, to begin with. The practice is so much worthwhile.

If you need more help with your creative process

If you’re interested in getting help in your particular creative process, you may want to have a look at this coaching page.

You can always fill out the form with no strings attached at all.

Also, my emails are a source of help for many creatives, so they tell me, so feel free to sign up below. :)