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As artists, many of us feel the imposter syndrome come on even when business is thriving and we are in high demand. Why is that? For myself, I know that my ego tries to tell me that I’m not capable. It wants to relieve the tension by telling me that I should just quit and do some thing easier. I’ve been creating an illustrating long enough now to recognize this little saboteur.

Here are some of the symptoms that I notice when my ego is interfering with my creativity:

1. Physical pain
2. Artistic Block
3. Fear
4. Procrastination

Action
These manifestations cause a deep freeze in creativity, but after many years of getting to know my own body and mind reaction, I’ve come up with a set of actions that help me break free.

1. Dance, stretch, breathe. Any kind of physical movement helps, but for me, letting loose with a combination of dance, yoga, Pilates, and muscle work, allow my physical self to release toxins, and bring joy to my day.
2. Writing and journaling every day has become a habit that brings out new insights. Some days I can only pull a few words, but those few words often reveal way more than I expected.
3. Make a storyline for each of my projects, listing assets needed for each piece, and giving an estimated timeline for each section.
4. Look at my body of creative work to remind myself of all that I have accomplished. This also can stir new creative ideas based on past work.
5. Set a timer. Committing to just one hour to a task can keep my focus when the ego wants to pull me in all directions.

At the end of the day, being creative is about shielding oneself from our own insecurities, not letting ourselves worry about what others might think, find ways to look deep into our own heart, and let the world see who we truly are.

I’d love to hear how you break through your own creative blocks.

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