{"id":55250,"date":"2021-11-17T14:32:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-17T18:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=55250"},"modified":"2021-11-24T16:00:18","modified_gmt":"2021-11-24T20:00:18","slug":"fear-of-creativity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/fear-of-creativity\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Embrace Your Fear of Creativity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is the connection between fear and creativity<\/a>? How do fear and anxiety affect the creative process<\/a>? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Big Magic<\/em>, fear is an inherent element of creativity. This is because fear\u2019s main purpose is to protect us in situations of uncertainty, and, unfortunately, the creative process<\/a> is full of uncertainty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is how you can embrace your fear of creativity and create nonetheless. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Accept Your Fear<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the first things you must do as you begin your creative journey, says Gilbert, <\/strong>is find a way to manage your fear. <\/strong>She believes fear is omnipresent when we are trying to be creative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: There is a specific condition called \u201cfear of the unknown,\u201d or FOTU<\/a>, which seems to be the type of fear Gilbert talks about here. The anxiety generated by fear of the unknown may be the scientific explanation for why we pull away from creative projects: When we\u2019re burdened by worry about how a project might turn out, the easiest choice is often just to drop the project. FOTU may underpin all human anxiety and neuroticism<\/a>\u2014mental events that can make it impossible to simply function in daily life.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, fear is not useful in the creative realm, writes Gilbert. <\/strong>Despite this, she doesn\u2019t advocate ridding yourself of fear entirely. <\/strong>Fear, and its function of keeping us safe in uncertain circumstances, is essential to our daily survival and well-being. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Gilbert\u2019s view of fear as a life-saving instinct may not reflect the full picture of how fears arise. Some theories suggest that fears develop in several ways and that some don\u2019t keep us alive<\/a>: Traumatic, albeit non-life-threatening, experiences can spawn fears that don\u2019t<\/em> serve us. A painful social experience in middle school, for example, can leave you with social anxiety that isolates you as an adult. Also, certain personality characteristics can make us more likely to develop phobias, which don\u2019t actively protect us from real threats. A phobia of needles is unlikely to benefit your survival, for instance.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ways to Deal With Fear<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To deal gracefully with fear of creativity, Gilbert suggests you take the following steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n