The Action of Letting Go in the Creative Process

This is more of my own expression of thought, a personal essay, response to an internal posing question. It’s not a how-to, or a reflection to an artist or designer who has done something innovative in the past.

That’s not to say I don’t think these types of posts are important. Personally, being able to recognize what designers have done before helps me feel inspired, and it gives me ideas. But when we’re all getting ideas from the things that have come before, is anything really even new? Unique?

On my own creative journey, I’ve finally accepted I want to bring something new to the table. I want to embrace my passion and what makes me unique; what makes me special. What I’ve realized, however, is that this doesn’t happen when I come up with a new technique or skill. This happens when I change my intention, and my incentive behind creating the things I do.

I realized I have to let myself go. I have to let any sort of fear of my art being not good enough, go. I have to let go of any fears that I won’t be successful, and I’m not as talented as others, go.

This is something really vulnerable for me to just share on the internet– but I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t think it could be valuable to others. I think we all get afraid of not being accepted for being ourselves, but our fears hold us back from reaching our greatest potential, and our fears hold us back from being ourselves. But,

We already are already our greatest potential.

I feel like this is a concept that we learn in children’s books; it seems and feels so familiar. Yet I look around, and I feel like I don’t see it. Trends have become more and more influential in the media, having a chokehold on our individuality. Success equates to money and security, and is defined by technical skill and mastery of technology. It feels so stripping, at least to me, of our identities and what makes us unique.

I guess the greatest source of inspiration is ourselves. And while I can sit here and explain how others have done it before, the only thing that is unique in this world is you, and me, and all of us as individuals. We each have something so unique to offer and to bring to the table, but we can only do so when we let go.

So on that note, the final piece of advice– or the greatest innovative technique is to let go, to allow yourself to create and exist without fear. I know we’re all capable of something great, but the fear we’re not is the silent killer.