PATIENCE CLEARS THE CREATIVE FOG BY MITCH PUHALSKY

My mind functions as a chronological checklist, “Today, I need to complete [this], [this], and [this] in order to be  successful.” With creativity, there are ambiguous directions you can move in, but no clear path to travel down. There is always a constant fog hovering over the path that leads you to that million-dollar idea.  

Before I took the time to interpret how impatient I really was, I would blindly follow the creative path,  ignoring the treacherous fog which was hindering my line of sight. I would accelerate as quickly as possible through the fog, crashing into whatever was in my path, eventually arriving at my destination.  When I arrived, I had no idea how I got to my destination, just that I was there and that the journey was over. This is not the way to go about the creative process. 

I now have a new, and more patient, approach to traveling down the foggy route. I now proceed with  caution, making sure to feel, smell, listen, and embrace every part of the journey. It may be a much  slower alternative to racing to the finish line, but there are experiences along the way that will motivate  and inspire.  

Becoming more patient is allowing me to learn more about myself. By slowing down and taking in the  process, as opposed to racing to the finish in shambles, your creative juices are allowed the freedom to  flow in directions you would never have imagined. Time to slow down.