I'm not telling you anything you don't already know, but if you're stressed over something, sitting down and trying to do something creative feels like the hardest thing ever.
I know, because that's what I'm doing right now.
You see, every Friday, it's my responsibility as a part of our team approach to inbound marketing, to write a post for our blog. But, honestly, this week, I've had several things that have stood in the way of me creating something remotely interesting. To keep it short and simple, I've been stressed.
I'm working on several projects at once and all of them have really taken their toll on me. I've been in full-on "production" mode. As an entrepreneur who is wired to be creative and relational, having to put my head down and grind through technical stuff has been a challenge.
Usually, by Thursday morning, I realize I haven't written my post. So, Thursday nights are reserved for finding that spark of creativity and then turning that spark into something that's helpful for you to read.
Well, yesterday, one of my favorite clients (don't be so shocked, you know you have some favorite clients, too.) ever had a major technical issue come out of nowhere and I spent all evening trying to get it figured out. I still haven't solved it. And that's got my brain all bound up.
Now it's Friday. And I'm supposed to be creative.
Yeah, right.
So, instead of blowing off my responsibility to my team and skipping my post (as I've done from time to time, sadly), I thought maybe I should just share my experience with you, and maybe in some small way, you'll find some encouragement in it.
A week ago, I was in a similar state, and I actually started writing down a few things that a person should do if they need to be creative while they're stressed. But as I look at the list today, those tips are so cliche and doltish. It's all the standard stuff: get away from your work, turn off the distractions, stop multi-tasking. That's fantastic, but when you're stressed, honestly, it's tough to do any of that.
So, I don't have 3 quick tips for you. I don't have the 7 secrets to help you break through. But there are a couple of things you should know.
You should know that even we creative types get stumped knowing what to write. I have a bucketful of blog topics in my Evernote, but when I flip through all of the ideas, I hate them. I know where to find "inspiration" at a time like this, but the "expert's advice" rings pretty hollow. So why did I decide to go ahead and write? Because my commitment to trying to share something with you each Friday supersedes my need to produce a clever and witty post.
I realize that such a personal, transparent post doesn't do much for your thinking that I have all the answers. I'm ok with that. I don't claim to have all the answers. I do want you to know that I'm an eager learner of my craft who has nothing to hide and nothing to fear. I want my content to be real and raw. And sometimes lame. Maybe you'll be inspired to go the same route on your blog. Maybe you'll decide that you never, ever want to do that. Either way, you've gained something.
Now, I've got to get back to fixing my client's technical disaster. He deserves it.
