Ego is the Enemy of Creativity
I often feel like I have a lack of creativity.
Too often I beat myself up for not being a more expressive and articulate writer. It gets to the point where my mind hits a roadblock and I can’t write anything at all.
I’ve always thought that a lack of creativity was my problem. It’s not.
Having an ego is the problem.
Creativity and Ego Cannot Exist in the Presence of Each Other
My inability to tap into my inner creativity stems directly from the pressure that I place upon myself. The subconscious belief that my writing needs to be perfect, flawless, error-free in order to be published.
If perfection is not achieved, my ego takes it personally.
The problem with my ego, though, is that it falsely assumes that people care about my work as much as I do. It assumes that my thoughts will be so influential and life-changing that my work will be praised and glorified for years to come.
The reality is, my writing has nowhere near that kind of impact.
In today’s digital content era, anything I create is merely a drop of water in a sea of content.
Regardless, for most of us, our egoistical nature leads us to believe that we deserve nonstop accolades. It gives us a misguided sense of entitlement that causes us to believe the world owes us something.
Publishing a piece of content that’s mediocre would certainly be a low blow to self-esteem and self-confidence. Two traits that the ego works hard to defend.
Free Yourself From Your Ego, Unleash Your Creativity
Our egotistical natures cause us to be insecure and prevent our creativity from flowing naturally and authentically.
The ego is a dark shadow that casts out the light of creativity. But creativity only shines when it is unbothered and free from being under constant watch of the ego.
Creativity comes from a place of complete inner stillness. A place where the fragile ego doesn’t interfere with your inner emotions and expressions.
You can choose to view it as discouraging or liberating but the fact is, the world doesn’t owe you anything. Quit putting pressure and unrealistic expectations on yourself and you’ll discover that your creativity will gracefully present itself.
My writing started to improve once I stopped expecting something in return from it. By writing just to write, free from ulterior motives and the opinion of others, I have become a better writer.
Want to unleash your creativity? Drop the ego.
This is post #12 on my 30-Day Challenge to improve my writing. Thanks for reading!
