The Secret to Staying Creative: Resilience, Resistance, and Just Starting
The secret to creative resilience? Knowing your 'why' and letting it guide your every step.
Being an artist can be hard.. Like, really hard sometimes. Those quiet moments between projects, when motivation is low but the urge to create is still there, can make you feel like you’re going mad and then there’s the gut punch of putting everything you have into something, only for it to fall flat the moment you share it with the world.
It’s easy to wonder if making art even matters anymore. But I promise you, it does. And that’s where resilience comes in.
Resilience is what separates the people who create for a lifetime from those who burn out or call it quits for good. In a world that rewards consistency just as much as skill, knowing how to push through those moments of self-doubt is a real superpower.
Now, I’m not saying you have to keep pushing nonstop if you’re genuinely burnt out. Like I’ve said before, creative breaks are a great thing. But I do think it’s easier than ever to just give up these days. And a big reason for that I would say is Instant gratification.
We’re wired to chase little hearts and thumbs-up notifications. And if we don’t get them, it’s easy to feel like what we’re making isn’t worth it. But I’m here to tell you, my friends, that couldn’t be further from the truth. But even beyond the trap of chasing validation, there’s another challenge every creator faces: actually starting.
Just Start
What's the hardest part about being an artist? It’s not the skill, it’s the start. Creative resistance and resilience are two sides of the same coin. Sometimes, simply starting a project is harder than pushing through a creative rut.
Think of it like this: instead of writing a novel, start with a paragraph. Instead of painting a masterpiece, start with a sketch. The resistance to starting - overthinking, over-researching, Thinking you’re not ready - is one of the biggest things creatives face.
I’ve fallen into this trap before. What’s helped me the most is to just start. A lot of what I put out might be shit, but as long as I do one thing better each time, I’m fine with that. My goal isn’t to put out bad work, it’s to overcome the fear of imperfection and build momentum.
So here’s something I want you to try this week.
If you’ve been thinking about writing on Substack but haven’t posted anything long-form yet, sit down with a nice cup of coffee or tea and write down five things you know well enough to speak confidently on.
If you’ve been struggling to get out and shoot, pick a simple object, a coffee mug, a plant, whatever and spend 10 minutes observing how light and shadow play across its surface. Take a few photos, experiment with angles, pay attention to the headspace this puts you in. I love doing this when i’m at home but can’t leave, it’s almost like doing a simple still painting for photography.
The whole point of these exercises are simply to get you in the mindset to: just start.
What Is Your Why?
You have started, great. Now let’s dig deeper and figure out your why. I think the second most important part of any creative pursuit is understanding why you are even doing it.
Why photograph that coffee mug by the window? Hopefully, it is more than just because some interweb nerd told you to. What truly motivates you? What do you gain from creating? You should feel that passion in your bones.
Vivian Maier, now one of the most celebrated and recognized photographers of our time, was very secretive during her lifetime. She once said,
“The camera is a remarkable instrument. Saturate yourself with your subject, and the camera will all but take you by the hand and point the way”
This is something that really resonated with me when I first saw this quote. She loved photography so much that she didn’t care about sharing her work with others. Her why was not about external validation. It was about the connection she felt with her subjects and her camera.
So, I ask you again. What fuels your passion for anything? Wether it’s photography, writing or whatever. What's your why?
I think understanding what that why is can be the key to unlocking that superpower we talked about earlier when it comes to consistency and resilience. For me, my why is simple. Photography gives me the confidence to explore, and it is an outlet from my normal routine.
Nothing groundbreaking, nothing deep or profound, but that's the point. Your 'why' doesn't have to be impressive; it just has to be meaningful to you. Because when the doubts creep in, when the likes don't come, and when the creative well feels dry, it's that personal 'why' that will pull you through. It's your anchor in the storm, your compass guiding you back to your creative purpose.
So, embrace your why, whatever it may be. Let it fuel your passion, guide your actions, and empower you to create with resilience and joy. And remember: Your art matters, your voice matters, and your 'why' matters most of all. Now, go create something amazing and I’ll see you next week
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In Case You Missed It
Is the Photography Community as Supportive as It Could Be? – The photography world has evolved, but has it lost some of its sense of community along the way? In this post, I dive into the impact of social media, gear obsession, and online criticism on the creative space. More importantly, I explore ways we can shift the focus back to storytelling, connection, and lifting each other up
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Sharing What Inspired Me This Week
For whatever reason, I was having a really off week. But something that always lifts my spirits is beautiful, no-talking content, just pretty moving pictures. So here you go. This was a combo I didn’t know I needed Gawx working with Faizal.
See You Next Week
Hope you enjoyed this one. Have a wonderful rest of your week and go outside to make something! Thank you as always for joining me here.