If you’re a creative, there are major risks involved in engaging in "The Yes Addiction". Research shows that often abstinence from saying yes is the safest option for creatives. “No” can’t protect them from every risk, but it can lessen the odds of creative block, depression, burn out and anxiety significantly.
We all know the major issues associated with "The Yes Addiction":
- More than 360,000 creatives will never get around to finishing their art projects
- Half of those creatives will suffer severe depression over the lack of progress they make in their work
- An estimated 8,300 creative ideas will never be thought of each week due to "The Yes Addiction."
- Every 11 seconds, a creative will give into "The Yes Addiction."
*All stats came from the mind of Kadie Pangburn and are completely made up, but probably true. "The Yes Addiction" is also not yet clinically recognized but might as well be.
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Your creative space is like a precious flower. You have to protect it from all those who may try to steal it away from you. Many times society may not understand and think you are selfish for keeping your flower all to yourself. But at those moments you have to stand firm, take action and just say no. Giving your flower away to anyone and everyone will only cause you grief and heartache and leave you frustrated.
Your creative space is what fuels your creative mind. It is your time to work and play and grow and inspire your creative self. Without it, most creatives burn out and suffer from creative blocks.
It's hard to protect our creative space because we often are made to feel selfish by doing so. We don't have "The Man" telling us we need to buckle down and work because we are "The Man" and it's hard for society to understand that at times.
If an accountant is asked to do something and replies: "I wish I could but I have to stay late at work this week." Society gets it, they understand, they don't hold it against the guy. If a creative person is asked the same question and they reply: "I wish I could but I need get in some time at my studio this week." Society often replies with "well couldn't you just put that off and do it some other time?"
For years I've lived with the bad habit of treating no like a dirty word. I didn't want to disappoint people, or have them not like me anymore by saying no to them. So I gave in and said yes, thinking "what could it hurt?" Turns out a lot.
I ended up giving away all my creative space. My projects didn't get finished, I didn't have the time to gain the inspiration I needed to fuel my creativity, and I worked on projects I wasn't passionate about and only served to harm my creative spirit.
It has only been in the last year or so I have really come to understand the beauty and power of the word no.
No is not selfish. No is self empowerment.
No means that you are recognizing your needs as a human being, especially as a creative human being and listening to them. You know what's best for you and you are giving yourself the authority to act on it.
So your challenge this week is to work up the gumption and empower yourself with the ability to say no and protect your creative space!
Some people may not understand, and that's ok. You need to give yourself the authority to know what is best for you and what is not and when you know what that thing is to hold on to it dearly and never let it go. And that my friends will get you further in life that simply always saying "yes" ever will.
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