Artist’s block? Perfectionist? Too-much-attention-to-details-ist? Ah, if it doesn’t sound familiar, I don’t know what does.
Regardless of your profession, perfectionism is – too often – a murderer of ideas. Constant insecurity towards your work can generate creative numbness, making it difficult to stay motivated.
Boosting your creative confidence takes time and – you may have heard this before – there’s no quick and easy formula for it. But there are at least four things you can do to get your creative juices flowing again:
1. Step out of your comfort zone
It is so easy to get stuck in a rut when every day is a routine. Stepping out of your comfort zone can be a great exercise for your creative confidence.
Learn a new skill. Do some bungee jumping. Attend a cooking class. Go to a world marketing conference.
What is something you have always wanted to learn/do outside your field? Research books, classes near you or online courses. These are so many options nowadays when it comes to personal development, it would be a shame to miss them.
Tip: Trying a new skill can help you develop innovative and fresh ideas in your own business.
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2. Try out checklists
Checklists are effective for increasing your productivity and creativity. The simple act of setting small, attainable goals and checking them off keeps you on track with your big projects, boosts your confidence and provides plenty of creative freedom.
Psychologists have a simple explanation for why checklists actually work: When you cross something off your checklist, your brain releases dopamine, the same chemical that makes you happy.
Using checklists to stimulate dopamine levels can help you build productive habits and feel good about accomplishing achievable tasks, which in turn boosts your confidence. This response is called self-directed learning.
Checklists may seem restrictive and rigid for some people. But experts say the contrary, according to psychologist and career coach Marty Nemko, “Knowing you’ll remember everything will free-up the brain space to use your creativity…safely.”
3. Allow flexibility to your work process
The flexibility of your work process depends a lot on your field. If you are a business owner, your work is differently structured than a freelancers’, for example. Different professions allow for different levels of flexibility.
When having a rigid work schedule with a lot of tasks to get done, it is easy to fall back on them and feel discouraged, which only puts more pressure on your shoulders, and in turn decreases your motivation and increases your disappointment. This damages your creative freedom and makes you feel like you are not good/talented/productive (fill in the blank) enough.
A good exercise that can allow you to introduce flexibility in your work process is keeping track of what works for you and building a daily creative practice around what you have identified.
Tip: Start with keeping a record of everything you do every day for a week (work-related and non-work-related). Look for patterns on those days you were most productive and motivated in.
4. Build keystone habits
The term “keystone habits” was first introduced by Charles Duhigg in his book, The Power of Habit. These habits create a ripple effect for other positive habits. Therefore, when you form keystone habits, a lot of things in your life tend to fall into place.
Creating keystone habits around your creative process will boost your confidence and increase your productivity.
Tip: Starting your day with simple routines like making your bed or establishing a free-writing practice in the morning can add structure to your day. More good habits will follow, and with them, confidence.
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No matter if you are a business owner or a free spirit, increasing your creative confidence will help you come up with original ideas for your business and projects. Do not let lack of confidence limit your goals and ideas. The Digital Specialist here at Shuriken Digital can help you find the right channels to bring your original ideas to life. Get in touch today.
