Why We Overcomplicate Creativity (And How to Keep Things Simple Instead)

I love the quote: "Do what you can, with what you've got, where you are."

I sometimes think we make things more complicated than they need to be (I am "we" lol") and we end up stopping ourselves from doing something before we even begin.

Or if we do begin, we approach it from a place of struggle / hardship / difficulty when it really doesn't need to be doing all that.

Remembering that overcomplicating things is a tenant of white supremacy helps me keep things / myself in check when I want to do the most around something when it really doesn't require it (of course some things do actually require more effort / thinking / energy).

So for this week, I am focusing on keeping things simple and asking myself:

  • What does "overcomplicating" things look like in my life, especially around my creativity?

  • What does it feel like it in my body when I am stuck in that place?

  • Where am I stuck with something currently because I am overthinking / complicating?

  • If I could take an action in its simplest form, what would that look like?

  • How will I feel having accomplished it (and it being easier than I thought)?

Some of us have programming that something is not satisfying unless we had to work hard to get it. For many of us, especially if we are melanin blessed, this was passed down to us ancestrally.

I'm interested in what it looks like to start or continue to break those patterns so that we can put our creativity and self-expression out in the world with so much more ease and joy.

Join The Everyday Artist here!​

Next
Next

Being Creative Even When You’re Not Inspired