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Last week I presented four tips for dealing with “creative disasters”—that is, for dealing with creative projects that look to have turned out poorly. Those four tips were 1) mind your language and refuse to over-dramatize the situation; 2) instantly forgive yourself; 3) engage in self-support; and 4) take a break and then reappraise the project. Here are a few more that may help you further restore some order and, most importantly, some calm.
5. Reframe it as a learning experience
It is genuinely the case that we learn best from our “mistakes and messes” if—and only if—we can find the courage to look our creative project in the eye and see what worked and what didn’t work. If you make this brave effort, then this creative project, no matter how poorly it turned out, becomes a real learning experience and maybe one of your most profound ones. It is not a mere mental tactic or a play-on-words to reframe disasters as learning experiences—they are exactly that, if you treat them that way.
6. Salvage the good parts
A given creative project may “fail” in its totality but still contain many “good bits” that can be salvaged. One part of your business plan may still be worth pursuing; half your novel may work; the imagery you chose for your painting may still appeal to you if only you executed it differently or better. Look at your creative project with fresh eyes, maybe after a weekend away from it, and focus on what can be saved rather than on what must be discarded.
7. Get back to work
A “disaster” is a perfect excuse to stop creating altogether. You get it in your mind to lick your wounds, you take a break from the hard work of creating, and you find that days, weeks, months and even years are slipping away through avoidance. Even after the worst “disaster,” get back to work! Maybe you need a weekend away; maybe you need a week. But don’t let it be too long. We can lose vast stretches of time if we allow our “failed” creative projects to become excuses for not getting back on the horse and trying again.
8. Honor the process
Once you deeply understand the realities of the creative process you will know in your bones that “disasters” are to be expected. Only a naïve romantic thinks that everything he tries will turn out beautifully. In fact, the more ambitious your efforts the greater the likelihood that you will stretch yourself to your limits and sometimes exceed your grasp. Honor the creative process by embracing the idea that “disasters” come with the territory—we do not love them, but they shouldn’t surprise us!
Eric Maisel, Ph.D., is the author of 30 books, among them "Coaching the Artist Within" and "The Van Gogh Blues," and is widely regarded as America’s foremost creativity coach. His most recent book is Brainstorm: Harnessing the Power of Productive Obsessions. He is a featured contributor to the HuffingtonPost, ArtBistro, and Art Calendar magazine. Visit Dr. Maisel at EricMaisel.com.
