A friend was watching me edit video one day and asked, “how do you get in the zone for creative work?” I probably seemed rude as I answered, “I just get to work.” It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate the question, but I was taken aback at the thought there was some kind of ritual or magic pill that allowed me to get stuff done.
It’s not that I’m batting 100 when I set out to create something that resonates, educates or emotionally connects with an audience. But I realized long ago what allows me to get stuff done is to just simply get started on the work.
As a creative professional I know too well how hard it can be to get to work when by nature we constantly question our ideas, our work and our reasons. But being a professional means I can’t just show up to a shoot when I feel like it. I have to show up and get to work. Some days will be easier than others, but I trust the simple process of showing up and getting to work. Knowing it takes the creation of mediocre stuff and even total failure to get to the really good stuff you’re proud of is part of the process.
It’s not like I ask my furnace guy, “How do you get motivated to fix my furnace?” She just shows up, and gets to work (thanks Vanessa!).
I set self-imposed deadlines – like this very blog you are reading – which I hate to miss. And if you saw how many times I’ve questioned my sanity in promising to show up and do this show or write this blog, you’d think I was insane. But if I let myself slide and just worked when I felt like it, I’d spend more time finding that feeling than doing the meaningful work I want to.
So if you’re a Creative like me and finding it hard to get up and get to work, just get started. It doesn’t have to always be your best work. Just your best effort.
Clothing nerd Alert:
Special thanks to Koygear.com for allowing me to test their wares.
Owning many-a-shirt from brands including Nike, Adidas, Old Navy (?!?) and underwear from Exoffficio, Saxx and (most recently) Uniqlo, I’m always on the lookout for clothing that is functional, comfortable and stylish. I’m looking forward to putting these literally silver-lined Koygear wares up to the test of the notsoancientchinesecrets torture chamber – namely stinky me 🙂
You can check out their growing arsenal of technical clothing at Koygear.com
