Creativity and Resistance: Opposing Forces You Should Embrace

Creative people often feel resistance to their ideas.

Ever started a novel and given up because you felt like it wasn’t good enough?

How about a product idea or online course that wanted to start but dismissed?

Such feelings are normal. They are not signs that you shouldn’t purse your ideas. In fact, such resistance can be a sign that your idea is worth pursuing.

In this article, we'll explore how to embrace both creativity and resistance and use them to your advantage.

What do creativity and resistance have in common?

On the surface, it might not seem like creativity and resistance have much in common. After all, resistance is often seen as the enemy of creativity.

When you think of creativity, you probably imagine feeling like you’re in a state of flow. Everything is easy and words and ideas flow out of you effortlessly.

While resistance feels frustrating, like you have blocks, or that you’re incapable of creativity.

These two things feel like polar opposites. Except they stem from something common - your exertion towards something different and new.

Both are essential for any creative process.

Resistance tells you that you are pushing yourself in a way that you’ve never done before. And without creativity, we would never have anything to resist in the first place.

You need both forces to be creative.

How can embracing these two forces help you achieve your goals

The key is to understand how they work together, and how you can use them to your advantage.

First, it's important to realize that resistance is a natural part of the creative process. It's not something to be avoided or overcome.

In fact, the more you resist your ideas, the more likely they are to be worth pursuing. Why is this true? Because your survival brain wants to stay safe. When you challenge yourself with out-of-the-box thinking, you’re clearly pushing boundaries. And this is worth pursuing to get out of a rut and meet your potential.

Second, you need to understand that creativity and resistance are two sides of the same coin. They're two forces that constantly push and pull against each other.

And if you can learn to work with them, you’ll be your best creative self.

Why is it important to view them as allies instead of enemies

Resistance in creative ventures like writing a book, creating music, or starting a business is common.

Such activities push us to think and act differently. As a result, we're stepping outside our comfort zones.

And our 'lizard brains' dislike this because it feels like we're leaving safety and security. It generates feelings like laziness, frustration, and even depression.

Creativity itself can also be frustrating because it involves a lot of uncertainty. We're constantly second-guessing ourselves, wondering if our ideas are any good.

It's easy to see how these two forces can become enemies. We resist our creative impulses because they make us feel uncomfortable. And we doubt our abilities because of the resistance we encounter.

But it doesn't have to be this way. We can learn to view these forces as allies instead of enemies.

Because trying to fix ‘resistance’ just gives it more attention and strengthens it. You’ll end up spending more time fighting of feelings of procrastination or fear instead of getting to work.

Instead, let it be and cope with it using the strategies in the next section.

How to embrace creativity and resistance in your own life

So far, we’ve looked at why resistance can be just as important as creativity and how it’s important not to fight it.

But how do you do this practically? Here are a few things to consider”

• If you're feeling resistance to an idea, take it as a sign that you should pursue it. Better yet, just see it as part of the process, a normal hurdle to overcome. And don't give it more energy than you have to. Let the feeling of resistance pass you by and you'll feel the urge to get back to work soon enough.
• If you're having trouble getting started on a project, try breaking it down into smaller steps. This will help you move forward without feeling overwhelmed.
• When you're feeling creative blocks, try brainstorming with someone else. This can help you come up with new ideas and get past your resistance.
• If you're feeling stuck, try taking a break from your project. This will give you some time to clear your head and come back with fresh ideas.
• Remember that the goal is to find a balance between creativity and resistance. Don't force yourself to be creative if you're not feeling it. And don't let the resistance stop you from pursuing your ideas.

Conclusion

Both creativity and resistance are essential for any creative process. Without resistance, we would never push ourselves to come up with new ideas.

We would just stick to the status quo. And without creativity, we would never have anything to resist in the first place.

The key is to understand how they work together, and how you can use them to your advantage.