Embracing the Leap: Creativity Takes Courage
Creativity is often seen as a magical, effortless flow of ideas, but those of us who create know the truth: it takes immense courage to bring something new into the world. As a writer, the journey is filled with uncertainties and risks. It’s about taking a leap into the unknown and trusting that a net will appear to catch you.
The Leap of Faith
When I start a new project, I’m standing at the edge of a metaphorical cliff (I don’t like cliffs). The vision I have is clear, but the path to it is often obscured. A blank screen stares back at me. It’s in this moment that the courage to leap becomes crucial. It’s easy to stay in the realm of safety, where my ideas remain untested and unchallenged, but true creativity demands that I step off that edge.
Taking that first step is terrifying. What if I get permanent writer’s block? What if my book SUCKS? These fears are natural and, in many ways, a part of the creative process. (That doesn’t mean they’re fun.)
Trusting the Process
Once I’ve taken the leap, I enter a phase of uncertainty. This is where the real courage comes in—continuing to create even when I can’t see the net yet. I’m a plotter, so I always have an outline that I’m following. But outlines aren’t fool-proof. Plot holes can still pop up. My ideas might not come together as quickly as I’d like, or they might take a completely different direction than I anticipated.
Trusting the process means embracing these uncertainties and moving forward anyway. It’s about understanding that creativity is not a straight path but a winding journey with detours and unexpected turns….and so many revisions. But I try to remind m myself: every great work of art, every groundbreaking novel, has gone through this phase.
The Net Will Appear
As I continue to work and push through the uncertainties, something magical happens: the net starts to materialize. It might not be the net I envisioned at the beginning, but it’s there. It’s in the form of breakthroughs, moments of clarity, and the eventual completion of my project. This net is made up of the support from fellow creatives (shout out to my AMAZING beta readers!), the skills I’ve honed, and the persistence I’ve shown.
Looking back, I realize that the net was forming all along, even if I couldn’t see it. Each step I took, each risk I embraced, contributed to its creation. This realization empowers me to take future leaps with even more confidence.
Courage as a Continuous Journey
Courage in creativity is not a one-time act but a continuous journey. Each new project, each new idea, requires another leap, another trust in the process. The more I leap, the more I understand that the net will always appear, and the less daunting each jump becomes.
So, to all my fellow creators: embrace the leap. Let your courage guide you through the uncertainties. Trust that the net will form beneath you, and when it does, you’ll find yourself standing on a new platform, ready to leap again.