Tips on managing multiple creative projects - without going mad
Our creative minds love new ideas that turn into new projects. But how do you manage multiple creative projects, and long enough, to see results before you succumb to the temptation of a new project? And without going mad?
Imagine this scenario: you desperately want to build a fantastic business by selling your creations or special knowledge. The problem is, you keep going around in circles because you fail to stay on track long enough to finish your projects.
If you know this situation, welcome to the creative mind club. :-)
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve started new projects and finished some of them, but as success hasn’t been instant, I’ve moved on to a “better” project. Rinse and repeat. But, as you’ll learn in this post, managing multiple projects, and selling them, are two different things.
Some of my challenges with managing multiple projects
When you’re wired with a curious and creative mind that sees new possibilities around every corner, and you love nothing more than the thrill of diving headfirst into the wonderful land of creativity and discovery, it takes a lot to stay on track with one project for a long time. I would argue, more than it takes for people not wired this way. Most people around me don’t have this challenge.
Some of the questions I struggle with:
How long should I continue to work on something I’ve lost interest in?
When do I know I have to do a “Kill your Darling”?
Maybe this project isn’t meant to work but is simply part of the process of finding the right project.
From talking to other wonderful multi-passionate creatives, I know this is a common challenge to us and so I’ve put together a little “how-to” that I use and that helps me most of the time. Cause let’s be honest, sometimes the thrill of a new project is just too damn big. :-)
“It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy with?”
Tips on managing your multiple creative projects
There are 9 tips below, but you just use the one(s) that speak to you. Different tips work for different people, and sometimes at different times, so these tips are to pick from.
Find a way to plan that feels good to you
Long-term planning in detail doesn’t work for me. I cannot write a detailed 3-month plan of all things I have to do. I have things I’d like to achieve in a year, but the day-to-day work has to be flexible for me.
My daily calendar is a gift. I write weekly tasks and then I adjust every day. I must look at that calendar at least 10 times a day. I don’t like to fill it up too much, but I write fitness, journal, meditate, and 2-3 jobs, and appointments down. That’s about it. And it works. That calendar is the reason I get anything done.
Planning day-to-day gives me creative freedom, which is one of my values, and it doesn’t feel rigid. It makes me feel in control of my day and not a slave to a calendar. Important I think.
Use your intuition
Your intuition will let you know if something is truly worth going for. Maybe not straight away as any new project is carried on the excitement and hope of good things. But once the dust has settled, taking your project through a process where you have to notice your body’s reaction, can actually be a really helpful indicator.
What happens when following your intuition leads to failure?
Not everything we touch turns to gold, let’s be honest. Far from it, and yes, sometimes following your intuition means falling on your face. That’s probably why many of us don’t follow through. But we really can’t let the risk of failing, stop us from following the path our inner knowing is telling us is right.
Your safety net can be this:
If you do follow your intuition, be prepared for things not working out straight away, but after making a few adjustments.
I’ve always been good at listening to my intuition, but when I’ve silenced that nudge inside, it’s led to bad situations. Now I’m big on paying attention to my intuition, also when it comes to the creative projects I’m working on.
Perseverance
Being able to persevere is a good mindset to have. In life in general, and certainly in creativity. This is one of my strong sides. I tend not to give up. I’m like a dog with a bone, I will not let go. At times I’ve held on too long, but you have to have the will to keep going when things get difficult.
Being able to keep going when things are hard, and you don’t know if it’ll ever work, takes a lot of perseverance.
Practice self-love
Showing up for your creativity, and your creative work is a way of loving yourself and showing yourself self-respect. Negative self-talk and self-criticism will make you quit, and get off track faster than you can spell your name.
Self-kindness is the most amazing creative tool. It’ll make you braver, respect yourself and your boundaries, it’ll make you happier, and feel good deep inside.
Don’t confuse marketing with not staying on track
Ok, this one’s important. Don’t confuse shying away from selling your finished work with getting off track.
Doing creative work, and selling it, are two different things. This is why they are two different departments in big companies.
As I said in the intro, I’ve finished many projects but have then shelved them. Until recently, I thought it was because I couldn’t stay focused long enough, but now I understand it’s because the whole marketing work is not something I know much about and so it’s not been something I’ve enjoyed.
Learning to separate the full length of your creative project into smaller chunks will help you stay on track.
Maybe look into gentle accountability
Having gentle accountability is a good way for some people to stay focused on work. You can create accountability with another person, a coach, or with yourself.
Practice using Kaizen small steps
I believe using small steps works for any situation in life.
When you make the steps small enough, you bypass the amygdala in your brain, which is the flight/fight/freeze response, and access the cortex, the thinking brain. Small steps work.
What you do, is break your work down into tiny steps. Once you’ve done that, make them even smaller. Small steps work when they are so small, you think they’re a bit ridiculous.
The trick with having to do just a tiny, easy step, is that it’ll get you started. And getting started is often the hardest part.
Patience and practice - and practice patience
Lastly, I’ll say managing your multiple creative projects takes patience and practice. Allowing work to evolve naturally, honoring your creative seasons, and the different stages of the creative process require patience and practice
Last tip: have one project that is just for joy
Creative and head space is as important as work/business/money projects, in my opinion. If not more.
I have taken up knitting again, and have knitting jumpers as one of my projects. It’s a relaxing, switch-off project, and it fills me with joy.
If you found this post useful, I’d love for you to get my emails too. That’s a place I share most of what is going on in front and behind the scenes. .)
