5 Habits That Hurt Your Creativity

After talking about habits that help your creativity the other day, let’s look at habits that can hurt your creativity!

1. Fear of Mistakes

Embrace imperfections as opportunities for growth. Rather than fearing mistakes, view them as stepping stones to artistic discovery. Explore new techniques, colors, and styles without the constant worry of messing up.

2. Rigid Perfectionism

We’ve all done it: having a piece of art that‘s perfectly fine and technically finished, but working on it some more and more and more until it’s inevitably ruined. Consider leaving your artwork unfinished and showing it to others in a far less-than-perfect state.

3. Excessive Self-Censorship

Constantly filtering and censoring your ideas before they even have a chance to develop can be the death to your creativity. If you find yourself discarding ideas out of fear or self-doubt too quickly, you may miss out on innovative and unexpected concepts. Allow your mind to wander and explore even seemingly unconventional or "imperfect" ideas.

4. Comparing Yourself to Others

An oldie, but goldie. There’s a fine line between learning and being inspired by fellow painters and comparing your level of creativity and skill to theirs. If you find yourself leaving other accounts online discouraged and feeling down, mute them and don’t go back until you’re confident that you’ve found your own voice and style in art.

5. Ignoring Self-Care

Create a balance between your creative pursuits and self-care. Don’t stress about improving your skills fast enough, producing new artwork several times a week and keeping up with every current trend. Doing things at your own pace and taking breaks is key to maintaining a sustainable and fulfilling artistic practice.

In the end, it all comes down to gaining confidence in your own process, your own timeline and your own style. Once those are in place, your creativity will flow and you’ll start creating like a pro!