I’ve never thought of myself as a creative person

Here’s something I don’t really say out loud: I’ve never looked at myself as a creative person.

I’ve thought of myself as an analytical, overthinking person that loves the idea of being creative. I look at people I admire and feel a mixture of jealousy and motivation. Jealousy over what I’m not, or feel like I’m not, and motivation to keep striving to become everything I could be.

Then I spend a stupid amount of time scrolling, watching people who seem to have this thing I don’t, raw creativity, and beating myself up for not having it.

But a while back I was stuck in my head (we meet again, overthinking brain) and I started asking what it even means to be creative.

And I realized something.

Of course our own ideas can never feel original or novel to us. They’re ours. We’re too close to them.

We know exactly who we’re imitating. We know every piece we let influence our work.

And I was thinking that to be creative at its core just means you create things. I do that.

You probably do too.

It may not feel like enough. It may not be “as good” as the people we look up to.

But the evidence is there whether we feel it or not.

And as much as I wish I was less of an overthinker, it’s my analytical brain that taught me this.

When you can’t trust your own mind, trust the evidence.

I hope this helps,

Caleb