Creative vision is a blend of what you know, feel and desire crafted into an ideal version of what’s possible. It’s a wish list on steroids driven by imagination. I love to play with ideas and see where they take me, but playtime can’t last forever if I want to turn an idea into something tangible.
So with ideas that feel juicy and exciting I ask myself a few questions, “Am I ready to take the action steps to make this happen? Is this something I can commit to and see it through until it’s complete?”
When a “yes” pops into my head, then I know what’s next…making sure I can balance my creative vision with realistic goals that support it without stifling it. In other words, can I let my idea grow naturally and pay attention to cues and clues, rather than shoving it every step of the way to force it into a mold of what I see in my mind?
The Balance Between Hustling and Over Doing
To get things moving for a creative vision takes hustle and commitment. It’s a common sense reality that can be hard to stick to at times. As a plan evolves and you continue moving towards a vision or goal, results may not always be what you expect, so you have two choices: regroup and shift your vision or keep pushing against that stubborn thorny bush without your garden gloves.
Both options help you learn something about yourself or the situation. Only one approach helps you avoid excess and unnecessary frustration.
Letting things take their course and being patient is as important as taking action towards a creative vision. Overdoing not only distracts you from what you are feeling, but it’s fear in disguise, tricking you into thinking you are being productive and making real progress.
How do you know when it’s happening? Just like I did, many times over – when you have pushed in every way possible and all you can see are walls instead of windows. Then doubt takes the lead.
Knowing when you are Leading with Force Instead of Clarity
Doubt is tricky because it’s all in the head. It’s absolutely a valid feeling that shouldn’t be ignored, but it can force you to prove your vision, instead of taking a step back to see what the feeling of doubt is really revealing to you.
In my haste to hurry things up with some creative experiences, I didn’t think closely enough about the scope of work or what I would do when people I was counting on bailed. I pushed because in my mind I saw the end goal and how I wanted things to be with projects, as well as with relationships that were clearly broken and out of balance.
I’m not saying I should have counted on people being frustrating or selfish, timing being slower than expected or resources being slim. However, I could have found a healthier way to navigate around the challenges, instead of beating myself up or pushing myself to stay the course even though conditions had changed.
Allowing your Creative Vision to Be Flexible Enough to Grow in a Healthy Way
There is real power in letting go of what you define as “making it”. Your creative vision may take a little longer than expected or reshape itself many times over, but does that mean you can’t celebrate the little wins? That the milestones you are reaching simply by learning and dealing with push back along the way aren’t still part of the bigger goal? Or that the feedback you’re getting isn’t worth listening to, even if it wasn’t all glowing?
Just because they weren’t planned, doesn’t mean challenges you experience aren’t necessary for a creative vision to be a success. The invitation in front of you is to take the same vision, open your mind to new solutions that strengthen it, and gently guide it in a new direction instead of forcing it into the truth you want to see. Otherwise you are stifling the very thing you are trying to grow.
Are there times or experiences that got you stuck between growing a creative vision and stifling it? How did you shift the dynamic?
Photo credit: Ant- Lou Gold