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Creativity Is for Tricksters, Not Martyrs
Five tricks to bust fears and blocks inspired in part by Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic. #3 Perfectionism Is Fear in High Heels
There is a myth of martyrdom surrounding creators; some elements might be the starving artist, the misunderstood, the marginal, the elusive muse, the isolation, etc. Living from your creativity is not a requirement. If it’s painful, just don’t do it! There are millions of other things you could be doing. However, if you want to or have to create, let me share a few tricks that might make the journey a little easier for you.
#1 Find Your Tool
In Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert tells the story of Brené Brown who published a few books, such as Daring Greatly, in reluctant isolation, sitting in sweat and fear, thinking that this was the way academia works anyway. When she heard of the notion of tricksterdom, she realized that she could use her natural talent as a storyteller by going to a beach house with a couple of colleagues. She told some stories about the subject of her book to her colleagues who took notes, then would run and transcribe them. She would then read what she typed and her colleagues would ask questions to tease out the narrative further and ask her to explain her ideas with new anecdotes and stories.
“Her new trick worked like a charm. Never had…
