STRUGGLE.

I have a great deal of respect for anyone connected to The Do Lectures.

Fellow attendees like Shaughn McGurk, founders like Carlo Navato and speakers such as James Victore.

So when I read about James’s ‘Creative Struggle’ last week, I felt a bit better.

Creativity. 

I ran creative agencies for about 15 years. But I don’t think I was being awfully creative.

Yes, I was helping others to be creative.

But me – as a trained and experienced designer myself – was I really being creative?

Here’s what James said:

It’s hard to be creative, I know.

I question every move and mark I make.

I fall victim to too much thinking and too much worrying about money, art, life, kids, the future, death and “what’s for dinner?”

But, I also know that I can change my reality by changing my attitude.

So, now I plug in my microphone and share these thoughts with you.

For the last 80-plus weeks I have been recording a “Dangerous Idea” video every week on my channel at Patreon.

These come from my own efforts to untangle my daily creative struggle— and in the process help you find your own way.

All of the videos are available to new subscribers.

You can look up James Victore’s work online.

He’s bloody brave.

I love the playfulness of his work. And the humour.

It’s punky to me. Rebellious and personal.

I intend to read and learn a lot more about James.

Creative Struggle.

But the main reason I’ve written this little story is because of James’s terminology…

…creative struggle…

James seems to acknowledge that this is a ‘thing’.

Rather than a weakness or a disease or an immovable barrier.

And I like that.

I like that I am a bit like James, too.

I struggle creatively from time to time.

I never actually struggle to be creative.

But I struggle to work out what’s good and bad, valuable or not valuable, relevant or irrelevant.

I struggle to prioritise creatively.

That’s it.

I think.

Authenticity.

I admire James.

And I am grateful that he’s had the authenticity and the honesty to talk about his struggle.

As with all such actions, and I really should have learned this by now, when one person talks openly about their struggle – it makes it so much easier for people to talk about theirs.

That’s a good thing.

Image: By James Victore.