Big Magic
Creative thinking
Acknowledge your frustration but keep doing your work anyway

Acknowledge your frustration but keep doing your work anyway

from Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

How to Apply This

  1. When experiencing frustration while doing a creative output, acknowledge it first. Ask yourself, “What part of my work right now makes me frustrated?”
    Perhaps you’re writing a poem, and you feel it’s not beautiful enough. You could also be experiencing a creative block where you lack ideas at the moment. Acknowledging emotions will help you get past them easily.

  2. Remind yourself that frustration is not an interruption to your creative process. Rather, it is part of the process.
    Say, “I understand that I’m frustrated right now because (state why you are frustrated). But I also understand that this is part of the process, so I’ll keep doing the work anyway.“

  3. Smile after you say it.
    Associating a positive emotion with your statement will help you develop a more positive mindset. This will motivate you more to keep doing your work.

  4. Continue working with your creative work.
    Your frustrations cannot stop you from doing the things you love the most. So, be unbothered and just keep going.

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