VizThink: Wrestling with the monster named Fear

Even professionals struggle with creative anxiety

Meet my Fear Monster. Lovely fellow, eh? What’s he got to do with visual thinking? I’d say a lot. Because he’s the one I let torture me when I think about putting my drawings and images out where people can see them.

Does his cousin live at your house?

Now, you might think this little devil wouldn’t come visiting, or if he did, I’d know how to control him by now. After all, I’ve had many opportunities to wrestle with him. For those of you who have not been to art school, a large part of what happens there is staying up very late at night slaving over some piece of artwork. The next day you bring it to class and pin it up on the wall. Then the class shreds it with help from the instructor. At the end of the semester you have the opportunity to face an entire panel of critics with a pile of your best work. I don’t remember a lot of compliments, but I do remember crying in the alleys outside. I must have done something right since I did graduate. (Rhode Island School of Design)

My Fear Monster is quite arrogant and laughs at my silly little attempts at cleverness. And I know he is poised to bite me with those poisonous pointy teeth as soon as I turn around.

Keys, keys, and more keys

I have been doing exactly what I suggested you do in my earlier post. I’ve been exploring the visual aspects of my keychain, by doing quick sketches while I’m listening to webinars or conference calls. I’ve also been taking photos of it to illustrate some of the visual language aspects I want to show you in subsequent posts. I’ve been thinking about what might be the best way to show you what I’m thinking about and have been looking at tools like screencasts and video which seem promising.

Mr Fear Monster has been rearing his ugly head because I’m thinking about posting unfinished ugly drawings, and using new tools I am not expert in. Now, I know one of the points I am trying to make is that unfinished ugly drawings are part of the process of visual thinking. Does the Fear Monster care? No.

So why am I feeding his ego by writing a post about him? Because I am trying to make the process of creating visible for you, and wrestling with him is part of it. He doesn’t stop me from doing it. But his toxic voice talks in my ear and I have to tell him to be quiet, go away, and refuse to give in to him. Even deciding to tell you about him has got him laughing.

Do you have a Fear Monster that keeps you from creating? How do you handle creative anxiety?