Comments on: Is Fear of ‘Getting It Wrong’ Blocking Your Creativity?

By: Brains, Creativity, Innovation and Resistance

Brains, Creativity, Innovation and Resistance — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 18:28:04 +0000

[...] Block # 2 from Lateral Action — The Fear of Getting it Wron Next time you sit down to compose, write the ‘wrong’ version, full of mistakes, the kind [...]

By: Breaking Through Your Creative Blocks

Breaking Through Your Creative Blocks — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 05:14:30 +0000

[...] Creative Block #2 – Fear of Getting It Wrong [...]

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 10:55:38 +0000

Thanks everyone, wonderful comments, sorry for the slow response, I’ve been so busy behind the scenes at LA Towers.

@ Philip – Yep, very easy to get glued to the desk/computer when a stroll in the sunshine would be more productive.

@ Jaqueline – “NEXT!” Love it!

@ Runbei – Glad I’m not the only one in perpetual debugging mode.

@ Stacey @ Ali – Yes, we definitely get stuck when we take things personally and identify with the problem. (Maybe I should include that in this series…)

@ Karen – Better to annoy a few people than produce something totally inoffensive. I recently read a poem at a workshop and one of my favourite comments was “This should have a health warning, like a strobe light, the rhythm made me feel sick!”

@ Gabriel – “but I know where to find that answer”. I’ve been saying that for years, the internet is now making me feel vindicated.

@ Simon – One of my favourite quotes is from the Zen master Katagiri Roshi, “You have to say something,” the implication being even though it will inevitably be ‘wrong’.

@ Chris – Thanks, v interesting snippet. I must ‘do’ Picasso on Lateral Action one day…

@ Tracy – My pleasure! Yep, this is all practice too…

By: Ali F

Ali F — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:20:56 +0000

Fantastic series!! I think there are many folks out there who haven’t yet even pinpointed this “fear of getting it wrong”. Instead, they may be sitting around in a funk, wondering, “what’s wrong with me”, which adds on guilt, shame, and makes the hole even harder to dig out of. Thanks for reminding us all that there are constructive ways to get around the blocks, and get us back to opening up to our best work…in whatever arena that may be.

By: Tracy

Tracy — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 10:19:49 +0000

How perfect for me to reads right now. I’m a visual artist trying to prepare new works for a show. I’m trying to keep my work loose, yet fear of screwing it up (I think) is keeping me paying more attention to chores, etc.

Will try the suggestions listed as well as Picasso’s (thanks Chris!). Perhaps I can use a tool that lawyers and doctors use: call my business a ‘practice’. I’m never quite sure I’m getting it right anyway, it’s all just practice!

Thank you Mark for all you do!!

By: THINKing » Creativity 2010 - Week #3

THINKing » Creativity 2010 - Week #3 — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:31:24 +0000

[...] Creative Block #2 – Fear Of Getting It Wrong. The fear of making a mistake and getting something ‘wrong’ can be paralysing for a creator. Paradoxically, this block can get worse the more successful you are. [...]

By: Chris Vaughan

Chris Vaughan — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:36:07 +0000

Picasso’s technique was never to refer to his paintings as ‘works of art’ but always as ‘experiments’ or as ‘research’. A little bit of self-deception that got him past the perfectionist road block, resulting in a lifetime of continuous productivity.

By: Simon

Simon — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:23:32 +0000

Getting it wrong is an essential part of getting it right.

At least, that’s how I find learning piano. If I was afraid to get it wrong, I would never, ever press a single key.

Which would mean I never practiced.

Which means I never would get it right.

@gabriel – regarding ‘connecting mind and body’, learning a musical instrument helped me with that. As well as performing some of the functions described in point 1 of the article.

By: Gabriel Novo

Gabriel Novo — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:46:35 +0000

Fear of getting it wrong is especially prevalent in the IT field. I still don’t understand why folks think they have to know everything all the time. The one thing I learned from working at Microsoft (many moons ago) is that it’s perfectly OK to say “I don’t know” as long as you follow it up with “but I know where to find that answer”.

Connecting mind and body is also a tough one for those of us glued to computer screens 10 hours a day. Half the time you just feel like a support system for fingers and eyeballs.

These are great tips and I’m really digging the series as a whole. Can’t wait for the new entries.

By: Karen Martin Sampson

Karen Martin Sampson — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:08:02 +0000

Years ago when I was an official art student (I am still a student, but unofficially), I created some figurative pieces that caused a bit of a stir with some of my fellow students…many hated what I produced and were full of distain. I was at first hurt but then rather astonished to find I was receiving notice by others and my work was published a few times in the newspaper and my instructors began mentioning me to other artists they knew. One instructor even commissioned me to paint her grown children. It was an important lesson. Not everyone is going to love what you do, but the worst fate for an artist, in my opinion, is being too safe to even be considered – in other words, being ignored. Reaching out for more is always a gamble but makes living the life of an artist truly worthwhile.