Creative frustration is not a four letter word, even if it feels like it. The “stuckness” simply offers you an opportunity to see the truth behind a challenge by finding a fresh perspective. New insight can come through hard work, connections, luck, faith, meditation or simply walking away and taking a breather. However, when your go-to inspiration tools fall flat, along with your belief in yourself, it’s easy to toss-up your hands in frustration and walk away from what you’ve started.
Yet, you still have a powerful angle left to play.
Ask for help.
This is not a natural reflex for people used to going it alone or who have trouble admitting they need help. Pride is a huge obstacle that costs more than the project or idea you are giving up on now – it can cost you the future dreams that stay in the dark because you don’t think you can build them on your own. That’s a pretty big loss not only for you, but for the rest of us who could benefit from your creative expression or gifts.
To soothe the panic and fear when creative frustration strikes and won’t budge, it can help to set yourself up for collaborative success before you know you need it.
Build a Collaboration Power List
Before you pitch something into the “never again pile” that still has value, why not see if you can ask someone to share their opinion or insight?
An easy way to start building energy around the power of asking for help is to make a list of the people you would ask for help with certain things. Even if you never need to call on them, the list help you practice building and feeling a web of support around your creativity and dreams.
Organize or name the list in whatever ways make sense to you, but it can help to group connections their unique gifts. This honors the value they share in the world and allows you to see who might be a good fit for a particular challenge at a glance.
For example:
Jim: WordPress support, great with social media and fantastic sense of humor who helps me see the lighter side of things The list you create is a reminder of how well-connected and supported you are during the intensity of creative frustration. It also naturally gives you confidence that you can reach farther and more often because you are not really flying solo.
Asking for and Receiving Help is a Graceful Act
Being willing to ask for help has a certain grace to it. You are honoring the humanness in yourself by knowing your strengths and limits. At the same time, you are honoring the connection you have to the gifted people around you through collaboration and finding a way to move through creative frustration into a fuller expression of self. This benefits you both!
As a work in progress just like anyone else, I’m getting better at asking for AND gracefully accepting help when it’s offered without solicitation. As someone used to offering support, I’ve noticed it’s not always easy to switch up my role – but it’s always an interesting thing for me to practice.
How about you? Is asking for help easy or are you usually the one providing help or support? Photo credit: Punki, vanderwal, drtonyageorge