When fostering your optimal creative mind, you must eliminate fear.
At its core, fear is a creativity inhibitor. It causes us to second guess our artwork or hold back that crazy marketing idea because we don’t know if people will like it.
We fear the unknown, even though the creative mind is stimulated by the opportunity to conquer the unknown.
Steve Irwin conquered the fear of putting his head inside an alligator’s mouth. He showed us that some of the world’s deadliest animals aren’t all that bad.
Evel Knievel conquered the fear of heights (and pain). He showed us there truly isn’t a single stunt or obstacle that man can’t physically beat.
These men are fearless in their area of expertise, but aren’t fearless overall. Fearlessness is a state of being that few people actually attain. It’s repetitive courage that most misconceive as fearlessness. Repetitive courage in the eyes of your fear will allow you to, step by step, conquer that fear.
That fear may never go away. Many of the creative minds you idolize are probably still conquering the same fear you have. But, these creative minds have created a competitive mindset that masks itself as fearlessness.
Business is an arena for fearing failure. Whether you fear competition or the higher ranks in your corporation, there is a common thought that everything you put out there must be a huge success.
But, we must put that fear mindset to rest! Being a creator is about having the courage to listen to your conscience, putting your creative mind to work, and executing your ideas.
Hollywood agents were scum, except for one creative mind…
In 1975, it was a collective agreement that the only guarantee was their hefty ten percent fee. They treated their clients as if they were a stock portfolio: Happy to ride the wave of success, but eager to dump them when things went bad.
In 1976, there was a defining moment that would change the entertainment industry. Five men, led by Michael Ovitz, left the security of the biggest agency in Hollywood to start their own firm. Redefining the way every agent would work for decades to come, they created CAA, the Creative Artists Agency.
The entire industry threatened to end their careers every day they came into work. But, they didn’t let that fear guide their actions because they knew that they would change the world. As time passed and clients migrated to CAA from the big agencies, other agencies had to adapt to the new model CAA created.
Fear puts us in boxes. When you have the fear of losing your job, you don’t present your craziest ideas at work, therefore you keep your current position and don’t climb the ladder. You fear rejection, so you don’t post your artwork online and remain a mediocre artist. These boxes are comfortable and probably lined with Tempur-pedic pillows because they are very hard to get out of.
Treat your creativity is the rope ladder, trust your ideas, and they’ll lead you out of those boxes.
Let courage tell your fears what to do, so your creativity can ensue.
It’s easy to fear the rapid advancements in technology since it’s hard to keep up. But, that’s why I created Quick Theories–a brief, weekly newsletter filled with my thoughts on modern technology, how it’ll affect your life, and why you should adapt to these changes in your own creative way. If you feel bogged down by technology, sign-up here: quicktheories.com
