Why create when it’s already been done?
I held that unconscious frame for years. I would conjure up an idea, do a bit of research to flesh out the idea, and then lose motivation because someone else already wrote that article or created that product. So I junked the article or idea and moved on.
I thought a lack of uniqueness was the problem. Maybe my creative skills sucked? So I always kept searching for that great and unique idea. Always searching, always researching, always learning about creativity, but never publishing.
Does any of that sound familiar?
Many Creatives share the same struggle. There are also many variations to that struggle. Some Creatives struggle generating ideas. Others struggle with finishing projects. While other Creatives produce, but never share. It’s painful to see this because a lot of beauty and inspiration never sees the light of day. What’s going on here?
Most of the problem is our framing towards creative projects. A frame is simply the context you choose to relate to something. For example, I wake up at 4:45 AM every morning and run 3-4 miles at the beach. I find this activity enjoyable and healthy for my mind and body. I have a special relationship with the morning and hold it as my sacred time. That’s my frame. Someone else may frame the activity as dreadful and tiring.
Your framing determines available possibilities to choose from. If I framed my 4:45 AM routine as dreadful and tiring, the possible outcomes likely narrow to one choice: keep sleeping. We have to choose frames that open up possibilities and not choose scarcity based frames. When you look at my scarcity based framing of why create when it’s already been done?, how could any creativity express itself from that frame?
Well, it didn’t. My creative expression limped along for years, that is, until I realized it was a framing problem, and not a uniqueness or lack of skill. When I changed my frame, I got different results. This article you’re reading and my website is a result of re-framing my creative expression.
So how do you choose a frame that opens up possibilities? That answer lies in understanding what creativity is.
We get stuck thinking that creativity has to be something unique and new. While it may look like that on the outside, it’s really not. Have you ever heard of the expression there’s nothing new under the sun? What that really means is that everything is already invented, but not all things have yet been discovered.
If everything is already invented, then you’re not doing the creating. Isn’t that a huge sigh of relief? You don’t have to force or birth something into existence anymore. What you’re doing is discovering and shaping something that is already here.
Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it. - Michelangelo
Approach your creative projects like a block of stone. Begin chiseling away and see what forms. This frame towards your creative expression is much more empowering and useful. It’s hard to have stuck energy when you approach your creative work as a discovering process and not something you have to produce.
I approached this article like a block of stone. I had one simple idea: why create when it’s already been done? I thought, “hmmmm…I’ve had that problem for so many years. I know other Creatives struggle with this or something similar. I could write an article about this topic.” So I blocked out 90 minutes tonight and just wrote. What you’re reading is the chiseled block.
Creative skill does play a part. Michelangelo didn’t haphazardly bang the shit out of a stone block and then magically a masterpiece appeared. He was trained with his tools and knowledge of sculpting. To allow creativity to flow in and through you uninhibited, it’s important to be skillful and one with your tools and knowledge.
Luckily, creativity can be trained like a muscle. Think of it like weight lifting. Start small and as you get stronger put on heavier weight. I approach writing in this way. I’ve had a five year break from non-technical writing. I’m rusty. Sometimes it’s a struggle to express my ideas into words. Therefore, I’m approaching my creative work as a beginner. I’m being patient and gentle with myself. I get clearer, more concise, and faster each time I write an article. Did you notice that frame to my writing? Now that’s a possibilities frame!
Okay, it’s your turn. Forget trying to find that great idea; forget trying to be unique. Those frames will handcuff your creative expression. Look at your creative projects through the lens of discovery, like you’re shaping something that is already here. Keep developing your creative skills. Realize and accept your present situation with your creative journey. Be humble about it. Go easy on yourself. Choosing a possibility frame and developing your creative skills gives you confidence. With confidence you have the courage to create.