Is it brainstorming, daydreaming or overthinking?
Whichever it is, are you stuck there?
Is it brainstorming, daydreaming or overthinking?
Whichever it is, are you stuck there?Â
We know that brainstorming is beneficial because this is where we’re building the ideas that we plan to put into motion. We’re thinking about it, writing it down, making a vision board and probably discussing it with a team to help bring the vision to life. Daydreaming can be seen as brainstorming but without a plan those dreams stay exactly where they are…in our imagination. Overthinking has its pros and cons but if not checked regularly, this can lead to depression, rumination and anxiety. You’re focused on something too long or about something that happened in the past or future as worse case scenarios.
I do all three. I’m a team of one so I brainstorm by myself. I’m constantly daydreaming and for a long time, that’s where I stayed. No concrete plan. No scheduling of any kind and I procrastinated a lot. Overthinking is my bane. This has been a long term issue for over 20 years but I learned to live with it. As I got older and started my artpreneur journey, the three started to overlap causing mass confusion. I couldn’t tell one from the other and I found myself cemented in my thoughts, growing tired and depressed. Why was I experiencing this and how do I get through it? I had to do a little housekeeping in order to move forward and it wasn’t easy. Perhaps this could be helpful for you.
Solution #1. I had some issues that I needed to settle with the past. I was ruminating back to childhood and hung up on the what-ifs. I wrote a letter to my younger self, along with a few letters to others that weren’t meant to be sent, tore them up and moved on. The past really had to be in the past. It’s ok to think about the past but it becomes an unhealthy obsession when you dwell on it. Also, my anxiety became debilitating so I had to learn how to stay present and keep my focus on today.
Solution #2. If I wanted to be a successful artist and entrepreneur, I needed a plan. Frustrated with trying to figure it out on my own, I made the decision to hire a business/life coach to help me get some perspective on my life and how to effectively plan for the future. Also, I needed someone to hold me accountable. I’m grateful for my coach’s advice and patience because I was determined to get through my struggles and make this work. Searching for the right coach can be challenging and might not be necessary, but find someone that you trust that can hold you accountable. Not just every once in a while, but at least biweekly. The tasks can be as simple as creating a schedule of daily, weekly and monthly to-dos. Start small. Also, adding your quarterly and annual goals that you can refer back to because progression is necessary. Afterwards, don’t forget to reward yourself.
Artists spend a lot of time in their minds. Constantly sitting with their thoughts…observing, listening, researching and pondering over and over until something makes sense. Late nights and early mornings. Those thoughts get hectic and often distracting but when we’re done fighting it, going back and forth from the past, present and future, then we’re able to create. Then again, perhaps we have to revisit the past, live in the present and think about the future because this helps us create - no fighting it. Yes, we have to sit alone sometimes. Yes, we need someone to check on us from time to time and make sure we’re eating. Yes, we may often feel like the world doesn’t get us because we look at it through a different lens. If we all looked at the world the same, then how do we create and challenge the minds of others to look at it differently for once?