How To Eliminate Energy Vampires from Your Creative Life

To be as creative as you know you can be, there are essentially two elements to be considered. The first is what you can start doing that will help you be more creative.

The second element is what you can STOP doing that's a major hindrance to your creativity reaching its full flow. That's what we're going to focus on here.

In your creative life, there are a number of "Energy Vampires". These are all the things that suck energy and motivation from you, that block you, slow you down and cause you ultimately to question whether you're even creative at all.

Here are 5 of the most common Energy Vampires and how to put an end to their creativity sucking ways:

1. Unfinished projects. All of us have unfinished creative projects, it's simply part of the creative life. It's unrealistic to expect that every seed of an idea we have will develop into an incredible work of art. Sometimes the ideas we have highest hopes for lead to a dead end, whereas others that begin as tiny seeds blossom into more wondrous blooms than we ever dreamed of.

   The main way that unfinished projects drain your creative energy is by having them visible and scattered around you, serving as a constant reminder that you there are things you haven't finished, implying somehow you haven't achieved. Put them out of view, stop torturing yourself, and you'll immediately gain energy and focus.

2. Well meaning family and friends. A clumsy and insensitive comment from someone close to us, however well intended, can be crushing, and drain our creative energy in a moment. Comments like "Oh yes, it's lovely... But what IS it?" or "This little hobby of yours is really coming along, well done dear...". Sound familiar?

   In an ideal world we'd all have friends and family that completely understand why and what we create. But there is an answer. These days more than ever, we can seek out supportive groups and communities - locally and on the internet - that will encourage us and value our efforts and artwork. Find some today, put an end to being around only creativity-draining people.

3. Unorganised creative space. When you go to create, inspired by a fresh idea, and eager to get creating as soon as possible, are you greeted by a workspace piled high with random art materials, unfinished paperwork, and various household objects without a regular home? How easy does that make it for you to create?

   Set time aside to organise your creative work space so you can go to it at moment's notice and start creating, without your energy being drained before you've even started. If you're not fortunate enough to have your own room to create in, then at least keep a chair or desk available, and your materials organised as conveniently as possible to let you get to creating without battling with another Energy Vampire.
4. Your own inner critic. Ah the dreaded inner critic. Whatever happens externally, you can still sabotage our creativity in a moment by giving your inner critic free reign to suck your creative energy. One of the most effective ways of combating this is to disarm and expose your inner critic with boldness and humour, rather than run scared at that monster lurking in the shadows.

   Once you realise that all of your inner critic's comments have the single aim of protecting you and trying to save you from disappointment, you can declare that, grateful as you are for it's efforts, you're going to carry on and create anyway. Give your inner critic a name and a personality, make it a humorous caricature, and its energy thirsty tactics will soon be drastically reduced.

5. Constant comparisons. Are you clear about your ambitions as a creative artist, measure your progress against what you've done before, recognise how much you've evolved, and how much you actually do create? No, most of us aren't that kind with ourselves, and we expect an impossible level of perfection and achievement with every creative venture.

   At the core of this Energy Vampire are the constant comparisons we make to other people. We tend to pick out the very best trait in others and expect ourselves to be even better. However much raw talent you have, no-one is born with the ability to instantly create artistic masterpieces. Finding your creative voice, enjoying your art, and producing your best work is a lifelong adventure. Embrace and enjoy that journey, rather than keep sabotaging yourself at every step with unrealistic comparisons.

Which of these Energy Vampires is most familiar to you? What first step can you take today to help you reduce their negative impact on YOUR creativity?