3 Things Every HSP Can Do to Finally Complete Creative Projects

Don’t you wish you could just wiggle your nose like Samantha from Bewitched and magic would complete your creative projects? I’ve been trying to master that skill since I was in grade school. No such luck!

It can be hard enough trying to start, let alone complete creative projects, with so many things seemingly smacking you upside the head every time you try.

For highly-sensitive creatives (HSCs), it can be especially difficult. We’re deeply connected to our inner life and pick up on energy in our environment others don’t.

I’ve met plenty of fellow HSCs who also have depression, anxiety, and a lingering case of perfectionism that can add to the challenges of making progress and finding focus.

To have the energy and confidence needed to get going and complete creative projects, HSCs need a system in place to help carry them through and stay focused on what’s most important.

How do I get past a few of the biggest barriers to starting and following through with creative projects?

1. Become aware of emotional habits that breed doubt and drain your energy.

How you do one thing, is how you do everything. If you’re constantly hard on yourself, you will also be critical of the work you do. If you avoid conflict and challenges in daily life, you’ll likely turn away from challenges in your work.

If you’re ready to let go of emotional habits that no longer serve your needs, it can be exhausting keeping them up! It’s time to let go. Release judgment and exchange it for compassion.

2. Connect to your biggest source of confidence and clarity – your intuition.

“When we relax our tendency to grasp for a pat explanation and just be present with whatever is happening without trying to alter it, we can bring to bear a deeper, more intuitive knowing. That in itself changes our reaction and our perspective.” Tara Brach

We can’t know everything. If you’re waiting until you feel completely sure your project is ready to get out into the world, you will be waiting forever. If you’re searching for answers from everywhere but inside you, you’ll be searching forever.

You are your own best source of advice. Mentors can watch us evolve and show us what’s worked for others, and that’s invaluable. When it comes down to getting the work done, it’s just you. One foot in front of the other, you bring new ideas and visions to life.

3. Create a system to automate your workflow and free up brain space for creative work.

Just like our emotions and daily actions become habits, so does organizing thoughts and projects. When we develop a flow for working, it takes some of the pressure off our brains. We don’t have to think about where things are, what to do next, how to proceed each day. Having those everyday decisions already complete gives the brain freedom to focus on the harder stuff of being creative and producing the work.

Before I started using Scrivener in combination with a travel notebook, a large “business grimoire,” and iNotes, I had ideas and writing everywhere. I couldn’t see how everything would flow together, and I didn’t see how cohesive my content and vision actually were.

Having a system for working on content and projects saves me an incredible amount of time and energy, not to mention relieves my anxiety and helps me sleep better.

Do you want to know how I plan my products and launches?

My next post will be all about the systems I use to help creativity flow and organize projects in a flexible and clean content creation system.

If you’re interested in creating your own system for getting things done with less stress, sign up for my weekly newsletter. I’ll let you know when new content is up and send you a hand-drawn cartoon to brighten your day.

Is It Healthy Realism or Crippling Self-Doubt?

People are always saying “trust your intuition,” but how can you tell when it’s self-doubt talking and not your inner wisdom? How do you know if you have a realistic perspective or if fear is keeping you from taking risks?

Starting anything is the hardest part of the adventure. Taking the first steps, usually alone in many senses, we’re afraid of how we’ll look if we fail. We’re afraid we won’t live up to people’s expectations if we succeed. We’re afraid of getting hurt, not being good enough, feeling exposed, or looking like a fool.

The reality is we’re lucky if any of those things happen to us. Life is a gift, and it’s fleeting. The world will not end if we look foolish, especially not if we laugh along and don’t take ourselves too seriously.

This is one of slides we go over together in my free mini-course, Get Started, Get Going.

The expectations of others aren’t what’s really stopping the success train. It’s likely fear of the unknown and limiting beliefs around personal capabilities.

Do you have two voices inside you saying contradictory things? These two perspectives keep battling over small details. One voice says you’ve got something special to offer. The other voice tells you nobody will care what you have to say. You’re too old, too young, or other people have already done what you want to do.

All of us have those competing feelings. Don’t let all that noise in your brain stop you from having a good time on this planet. Do your thing.

Look a little deeper, under the confusion and doubt. In the quiet space inside, you’ll find your wise inner voice. Trust her. Developing a deep trust in your instincts will help you see with a more balanced perspective and make decisions you can feel confident about.

We can tell ourselves any stories we want to corroborate our fears and keep us in our safe zones. We, humans, do it all the time – always looking for evidence that what we believe is true, especially when it comes to confirming our fears.

You might want to Pin this quick guide I made for you on how to recognize if you’re stuck in a fearful mode, or if you’re being realistic about your capabilities and possibilities.

You and I both know that making big decisions can come with a landslide of doubt and negative self-talk. On top of our own emotional challenges related to moving forward into the unknown, we may also have to deal with not-so-supportive external forces in our lives.

To make big choices and take on new challenges with confidence, plant your roots in mindful thinking and become familiar with how mindset effects time management and decision-making skills.

In my free mini-course, Get Started, Get Going, you’ll dip your toes into what it might look like to be your own best support system, building momentum and flow through consistent action and mindful thinking. Integrating these beliefs and practices into your daily life will help you feel more peaceful, powerful, and positive while taking on new challenges.

[x_button shape=”square” size=”large” float=”none” href=”http://creativemindsociety.teachable.com/p/free-mini-course” target=”blank” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover”]It’s FREE, Why Not? >>[/x_button]

If you’re still wondering if it’s healthy realism or crippling self-doubt that has you standing still, take a leap. Do that thing, take that calculated risk, and you’ll quickly find out what was holding you back. Not only that, you’ll be free from it too.

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